My Heart Only Belongs To You
by Bellie1228
Summary: Jacob Black was a shapeshifter. A wolf shapeshifter. Anabelle was a girl. A girl who had her life planned but didn't know if had enough time to live it. Follow Anabelle and Jacob through hospital visits, newborn battles, overbearing best friends, and overprotective brothers. What could go wrong? OOC and a little Bella bashing...OOC
1. Happy Birthday

**Disclaimer: The only character I own is Anabelle. Everything else belongs to SM.**

CH.1

Anabelle woke up to the sun beating down on her through her curtain-covered window. Great, she thought. Another day. But before she could roll over and bury herself in her blankets, she realized what day it was. Today was her fourteenth birthday! When she was about to hop out of bed, she heard a knock on her door. She quickly laid back down and hid herself with her comforter. "Happy Birthday to you!" A deep voice sang from her door. She peeked through her comforter to see a blurry version of her big brother grinning at her, holding a stack of pancakes in his hands. She reached for her glasses and rubbed the sleep out of her eyes before putting them on.

"Paulie!" She whined. "I thought we agreed no more breakfast in bed." She shivered at the memory of Paul's sixteenth birthday. Paul rolled his eyes. Apparently seeing your brother with everything out changes a person. He just told her that it was better him than their father. He placed the plate on her bedside table and sat down on the edge of the bed. He watched her eat a few bites before speaking.

"Ok...here's the game plan." He said determined. She raised an eyebrow at him and smirked. "Oh, don't look at me like that. Ok so first you are going to eat then get ready for the day. Before lunch we are going to watch whatever movie you want." Anabelle grinned at the thought. Her and Paul had two totally different tastes in movies. While Paul like action, gory and thriller movies, Anabelle loved fantasy, comedy, and romantic movies. She was also a sucker for movies with a ton of cliches. "Then we are going to Emily's for your birthday." Paul continued. Anabelle practically beamed at that statement. She was the baby of the pack. Even though she wasn't a part of the pack, either being a shifter or imprint, it didn't matter. They still treated her like any other member. "So hurry up fourteen year old." Paul finished ruffling her hair and walking out, leaving her to eat in peace.

After eating, Anabelle quickly scurried down the stairs, disposed her dishes in the sink and made her way upstairs to take a shower. Paul watched her in amusement from his spot on the couch. She was always like this on special occasions especially her birthday. It was a way to cope with the loss of her mother. It helped her in distracting her from the tragedy that was her birthday. Neither of the Lahotes liked to talk about it because it hit them very differently. Their father lost his wife, Paul lost the mother who wanted him and Anabelle lost the mother she never met. Paul was only two at the time but still lived with the pain of Maria's death. They all did.

Paul was pulled out of her thoughts when he heard the footsteps of his sister descending the stairs. She walked into the living room wearing black Nikes, a pair of black leggings and a flowing white shirt that read, 'It's my birthday! Deal with it...' And lastly, her thick black rimmed glasses sitting atop her nose. Paul laughs as Anabelle makes her way to the TV to play her movie of choice. "Where the hell did you get that?" He asks still laughing. Anabelle looks down at her shirt and chuckles.

"Emily saw it when we went clothes shopping for everyone. Thought is would be funny." She shrugged. She walked over to him and snuggled into his side. "Has he called?" she asked out of the blue. She was asking about their father. He was on a business trip and wouldn't be back until next week. He was always like this around this day. After Maria died, he shut down some. It was difficult for him and he never had time to properly grieve. Evey year he always has a work excuse and planned to celebrate her birthday the next week. And this year was no different.

"I'm sure he wishes you a happy birthday." Paul assured her. Although he doubted their father ever thought of them when he was away. "I knows she's up there planning and planning." She smiled. Of course her mother would do that. "Probably pissing the big man off too." He added making her laugh. Anabelle could only imagine what her mother's doing. Their father told them that she was a perfectionist. She planned everything. For their parent's first Thanksgiving, she had a seating chart...for the food. It made her think...what would mom be doing? Then she remembered something...

"Wait!" She exclaimed. She quickly scrambled off the couch and bounded up the stairs. She reached her bedroom and yanked open her door, walking in and heading straight for her closet. She reached inside her closet, towards the top shelf and grabbed a thick binder. She put it under her arm and descended the stairs. She then plopped down on the couch and placed the binder in Paul's lap. Anabelle Lahote's Quinceañera Planning Binder. He smiled and examined it. I was heavier and thicker than when he found it when he was ten. He got in trouble and his father made him clean out the attic. "I secretly added some after I learned what it was. Figured it was the least I could for her. Finish what she started. You know?"

Paul nodded and opened it, surveying the contents. Pictures or dresses, flower arrangements, centerpieces for the tables. She had also put in sample invitations, food recipes and suits for boys. He was amazed. When he first found it, there was only dresses. "This looks really good, Belle." Paul said bringing her close to his chest. "She would be really proud of you." He tapped her on the nose and hugged her to him, protecting her. And that was the last he said before looking back at the movie and watching it with his sister.

"Hurry up Bellie button! We're going to be late." Anabelle pouted at the nickname and patted her way towards the front entryway. Her hair was in a long French braid, with her bottle cap purse slung across her chest and her binder under her arm. Her glasses weren't on, so Paul concluded that she finally got over the fear of contacts.

"You know I hate that name Paul. I was five, get over it." She grumbled walked past him to the door. She stopped abruptly when she walked into her brother's arm. She looked up at him in confusion.

"¿Tomaste tu aspirina?" He asked her. She nodded. Of course she took her pill. "¿Y tus puffers? ¿Ambos?" He further asked. She nodded again. He was about to ask the third and final question but she silenced him. She reached into her purse and pulled out two similar puffers each a different color. Red and blue.

"Already ahead of you, hermano. ¡Vamos!" And with that she left him to silently laugh and shake his head.

Paul pulled up into the front yard of the Uley residence and cut the engine. He looked towards his sister who had her eyebrows furrowed. "What are you looking at?" He looked towards her line of vision and saw the house. None of the lights were on and it looked like no one was home. Had he gotten the time wrong? Paul searched through his head to try to remember what was going on..."Shit." Realization dawned on him as he remembered a key factor of today.

"Don't worry...I'll act surprised." Anabelle winked, jumping out of the small grey pick up truck. She made her way to the front door where she could already smell something delicious. She then carefully opened the door and was met by darkness. Then, out of nowhere, the lights flickered on and three bodies popped up from various pieces of furniture and yelled, "SURPRISE!"

Anabelle was amazed by all the decorations in the house. They were shades of blue including balloons, streamers, and a banner that said, Happy Birthday Anabelle! She covered her mouth with her hands and gasped. "Oh my God guys, this is amazing. Thank you so much!" She exclaimed, hugging Emily, Sam, and Jared. "You really didn't have to do that. I would've been fine with just your cooking Em."

Emily dismissed her comment with a swipe of her hand and walked towards the kitchen with everyone following. "Boys help me with the food please." Emily said. She then turned to Anabelle and pointed a finger at her. "You. Young lady are going to sit down and wait. Oh and I will take this." She grabbed the binder out of Anabelle's hand with a grin and tuned towards the kitchen. Just then she heard the front door open and close. Who could that be?

Jacob was pissed. Pissed at Sam. Pissed at Paul. Why the hell did he have to go to this girl's birthday party? And for Paul's little sister, no less. He would much rather be spending the day with Bella. She probably has nothing to do and is missing him as much as he's missing her. "Come on man, cheer up." Embry said clapping a hand on Jacob's shoulder. "Belle is nothing like Paul. She's sweet and kind and funny. You'd like her Jake. Plus Paul is totally different around her, instead of a hot-headed asshole, he's calm, and collected."

Jacob snorted at his attempt to cheer him up. He guessed he could at least stop by so Sam doesn't rip him a new one. "How old is she?" He asked out of curiosity.

"Fourteen." Embry replied. "She hangs with the Clearwater's a lot. Especially Seth. I think he's fifteen, not sure."

Jacob nodded and put his hands in his pockets. "I didn't get a gift. Can I sign yours?" He asked Embry. He didn't know the girl but didn't want to seen rude by coming without a gift. Embry waved him off.

"No gifts. Belle doesn't like people spending money on her." He laughed and continued with, "Paul told me she refused a 60 doller silver bracelet from this jewelry store that her old man gave her. Said she wouldn't wear it until she paid him back." Jake chuckled. He was about to ask another question but they were already at the front door. Embry opened it with Jacob right behind him.

Not even a minute after he closed the door, a small figure zoomed past him and into Embry's awaiting arms. "Embry!" The teen squealed, hugging him tight. Jacob's ears perked up at the angelic, soulful voice of the teen. He felt drawn to it, something he didn't understand. The first thing he noticed was her hair. It was long, reaching the bottom of her back and braided in a complicated looking braid. It reminded him of his long hair. He would never admit it but he hated it. It was really hard to manage and he was relieved when he had to chop it off.

The teen turned towards him and he froze. When he looked at her, the first thing he saw were her eyes. He was entranced when his dark brown ones met her dark brown ones. Every string connecting him to Earth vanished. Bella,the pack, his dad, everything. Like the imaginary strings were cut, and replaced with steel poles binding him with the angel in front of him.

He had found her. His happiness. His life's purpose. His gravity. His imprint.

Another moment passed and Jacob went flying out the door with Paul hot on his heels. Paul quickly phased, shredding himself of his clothes with Jacob doing the same for protection. Paul was ready to make Jacob stand down from the imprint but Jacob wanted everything to do with his imprint. They were both ready to fight for Anabelle. Even if they loved her in two totally different ways.

Anabelle was confused to say the least. One minute she was being introduced to Jacob, a pack member she had never met, and the next, he was being catapulted through the front door by Paul. It all happened rather quickly. She looked around the room to find her self alone. She made her way to the front yard, where growling and snapping could be heard. She was terrified at the sight she saw. Both wolves, a grey and a red-brown one were in the middle of trying to take a bite out of each other. Anabelle felt overwhelmed, and terrified for both wolves. Her heart was beating erratically, and she felt her chest compress in tight pauses. She couldn't breathe and closed her eyes only to be met with stars.


	2. Unexpected News

Disclaimer: The only character I own is Anabelle. Everything else belongs to SM.

CH.2

Anabelle woke up to a bring light in her eye. She felt disoriented and tired. She slowly fluttered her eyes to see a dark figure staring at her. She instantly smiled. "Paulie!" She whispered. She was so happy he was ok. But just to be sure, she looked him over to make sure he had no injuries. Paul rolled his eyes at her maternal instinct. He was supposed to be looking out for her. "What happened?" She asked, looking over her IV in her arm. Paul sighed and sat next to her.

"The better question is what's the cover story." She raised an eyebrow at him.

"What is the cover story?" She asked. He smiled faintly at her.

"You see...we kind of told them that we found you and don't actually know what happened so you're kinda on your own." He said sheepishly. She stared at him and groaned. "Now you get to say whatever the hell you want." He added hopefully. Maybe she can saw she was abducted by aliens or something like that.

The door opened and out poured five people into the small hospital room. Emily fought her way around the guys and made her way to Anabelle's bedside. The girls engulfed each other in a hug while the boys watched. Everyone was worried about her and wanted to know if she was alright. After telling her and everyone else that she was fine, Anabelle's stomach grumbled indicating she was hungry. Paul chuckled. "I guess the birthday girl is hungry. Let's go get her some food. Knowing her she'll make me get all the cafeteria." He chuckled and led everyone out of the room leaving Jacob and Anabelle alone.

Jacob didn't know what to even say at the moment. He absolutely loved that he was in the same room as his imprint but wanted an explanation as to why she collapsed. He practically attacked Paul with questions but he didn't give any answers. Paul was angry at Jacob for imprinting on his sister. She had already been through so much in her life. He walked over to her and sat down in the chair beside her bed. "Look Anabelle, I am so sorry for what happened...I..." He was cut off by her hand, silencing him from talking.

She looked up at him with no sense of anger on her face. She knew it wasn't his fault, it was no one's. It was just an unfortunate accident. "Jacob you don't need to do that. It's ok... You didn't do anything. And look, I'm ok. No harm no foul." Jacob loved when his imprint spoke, and hearing that she forgave him made his wolf jump for joy. He smiled at her causing her to blush. She didn't understand how this boy was this way towards her. When she was introduced to him, he just kind of stared at her. Earlier, when she asked him if he was ok, he just continued to stare at her. It was strange. His eye were wide and full of something she didn't understand. She looked down and fiddled with her hands. "So... Probably the first time you've been to a birthday party at a hospital, huh?" She asked trying to start conversation.

He chuckled which made her smile. He seemed like a nice guy, and not at all like Paul had described him. She wanted to ask him about what she had heard but thought best not to at the moment. "Um yeah... This is probably a first... I do think that Emily brought your cake here, so it'll be a real party..." He said waving his hands sarcastically causing her to laugh. He smiled seeing his imprint laugh. He loved it. His heart was filled with nothing but love when she spoke or laughed.

Anabelle didn't know what was going on but she felt something when Jacob was near her. She felt warm inside but didn't understand it. She blamed it on his body heat but didn't feel that way with the rest of the pack. "I don't want to be rude by my asking but..." Jake said nervously. He needed answers and he intended to get them. "What's wrong with you?"

Anabelle was surprised by his bluntness. She didn't expect him to be so forward. When she told the others, they always leaned into it and didn't put her on the spot. Jacob noticed her nervousness and quickly spoke. "Um no... I'm sorry. That sounded ruder than I intended it to be..." He hid his face in his hands and chastised himself. She was probably mad at him for being rude. She didn't know what made her do it but she quickly pried his hand off his face and held it in hers.

"It's ok Jacob. I'll explain it to you." Jacob leaned towards her in his chair in relief. He was surprised by her grabbing his hand but didn't pull away. "Um...so I was born with a rare heart condition. Um... It's called ebstien's anomaly. It basically means that one of the valves in my heart, the biggest one that pumps the most blood, is lower and weaker than it needs to be. I was also born with an enlarged heart ,so it's harder to breathe sometimes. And I'm probably downplaying it but I'd rather not think about it right now. I'm just kind of stressed." She was stuttering the whole time and after, she was on the verge of tears. She didn't realize how emotional this was for her. She really didn't want to relive what she had been through though the years.

Jacob saw how emotional she was and didn't know what to do. He couldn't bear to see his imprint in this state. He was confused and wished he would have met her earlier instead of pinning for Bella. "Oh my God! I'm so sorry... I do not know what came over me. " She said covering her face in her hands. "You're probably thinking that you do not want to be here right now and probably want to leave." Jake frowned, and looked at his imprint.

He hesitantly reached over and grabbed her small hand is his bigger one. "Anabelle." He said looking into her eyes. "You do not need to apologise to for anything. You're in the freaking hospital on your birthday!" She chuckled and wiped her tears. "Here, why don't we do this?" He moved his chair closer to her still holding her hand. He didn't want to let go and he hoped she didn't want to also. She smiled at him not letting go at her hand. He really cared, even if he ruined her birthday.

Jacob picked up the remote and starting clicking random buttons. He was so distracted with the TV that he didn't realize what was happening with Anabelle. "Um Jacob?" She squeaked. Jacob looked over at his imprint and gasped. The bed was practically folded in half and her head was touching her knees. He looked down at the remote, then at her, slowly pushing he buttons and helping her to her original position.

"Oh my god, Anabelle! I am so sorry." He said apologizing. Great, he thought. Ruin your imprints birthday and fold her like a lawn chair. What more can you do Jacob? He was caught by surprise when he noticed her laughing. Her laugh was like music to his ears. She sounded so angelic and soulful. He chuckled and asked, "Um...what's so funny?

She regained her breath and apologized. "I'm sorry...but your face when you are concentrated is so cute." She giggled. He blushed when she called him cute. Wow, he thought. I am whipped. She then imitated him by narrowing her eyes and sticking her tongue out a little, causing him to laugh. She looked cute too. "And that's not even the best past." She added. "When you saw me, you're eyes literally bugged out of their sockets..." She laughed again unable to hold it in any longer.

"I'm glad I amuse you." Jacob teased. He picked up the other remote on her bed and turned on the TV. "So...what do you want to watch. We have Mulan, Finding Nemo, The Karate Kid, one and two." He turned towards her and she shook her head. He was confused when she picked up the first remote and pressed a big red button.

"Hello?" Came a voice from the remote. Anabelle's face lit up when she heard that voice. She gasped in surprise.

"Julie?" She questioned. She hadn't seen her since the last incident when she was 13, last year.

"Yes ma'am. It is me. The one and only. So... What do you need Ms. Anabelle?" She asked. Anabelle looked up at Jacob with a smile on her face. Jacob was confused. How did she already know her nurse. Does that mean that she had been here before for something? Is so, what was it for?

"Do you have any robots available?" She asked grinning at him like a little kid in a candy store. He looked at her funny resulting in her laughing. She remembered when she was first introduced to the robot. She had to stay in bed all day and Julie helped her feel better by asking the kid's center for some reinforcements.

"I do have one right now, and I will bring it to you, ok?" Anabelle thanked her and ended the call. She then laid back down on her bed and sighed. Jacob was about to ask her what a robot was until the door opened and the whole pack came in. Jared was absent and Paul was carrying a tray full of food while Emily was carrying another tray of a single plate that was covered. Paul walked over to her, setting down the tray on the table and occupied the other chair on the opposite side of Jacob.

"Is everything ok? I saw Julie walking towards the elevator." He asked grabbing her hand. He was worried something had happened to her while he was gone. She shook her head and smiled at him.

"No... everything's fine. After y'all left, I talked to Jacob for some time. Then when he suggested watching a movie, I called Julie and asked her for a robot." Paul grinned at her, matching his smile with hers. "Oh and before you call it, Jacob gets to play first. Because he's been nice and you kicked his ass for no reason." Embry chuckled but abruptly stopped when everyone glared at him. She then went on to ask him, "Why did you charge at him?" Everone tensed at her question and looked at Paul, who was taken aback by his sister's question. He was about to say a lame ass answer until Jacob saved him.

"It's kinda my own fault." He said. She looked at him in interest. " When he told all of us about his little sister's birthday party, I assumed it was a kids party. So I teased him about him wearing a princess crown and basically giving him crap for it." He stopped to gaze at her to see if she was convinced. When he saw her looking at him, waiting for him, took a deep breath. "Well...he didn't particularly like that and got pissed. After that he told me not to bother coming...I guess I surprised him by walking through the door today." He finished at looked at her, waiting to see if she would believe him.

They were surprised when she busted out laughing and holding her stomach. "Really?" She asked, looking around. She thought is was ridiculous that that was the reason Paul charged at Jacob. She sighed, smiling at her hands. "And they think girls overreact." she mumbled causing everyone to laugh.

Their laughter was cut short by a knocking on the door. The door opened a young looking man with a doctor's coat on. He had blond hair and sparkling blue eyes. He was clean shaven and was holding a clipboard. "Look who's up." He said, smiling at Anabelle. Jacob growled low in his throat at how the doctor was looking at his imprint. He caught Sam's eye and grudgingly stopped. He watched Paul let go of Anabelle's hand and walk over the doctor. They both nodded to eachother in respect with the doctor saying, "Paul." He then walked over to Anabelle and sat in Paul's seat. "Well I would say it was nice to see you young lady but we promised eachother we'd never say eachother again." She laughed at his joke but no one else did. They were too nervous of what he would say.

"Well, what can I say? I love the cake here!" Anabelle said laughing. She then sat up straighter and tightened her hold on Jacob's hand. She was nervous about what Dr. Brennan would say. Jacob eased her by rubbing his thumb on her knuckles. Paul tensed at the sight of his sister and Jacob. The imprint was already at its work, and he hated it. "When can I go home Dr. Brennan?" Anabelle asked. She didn't like being nervous when it came to medical reasons she wanted to know up front, about what the problem was. Dr. Brennan looked uncomfortable at how many people were there but he kept his composure.

"Maybe we should talk in private. There's some things that we have to talk about." Dr. Brennan said looking at the pack. They all took the hint and left the room without question, Sam leading the way. Paul went to the edge of the bed and sat down. Jacob started to make his way to the door but stopped when he heard Anabelle speak.

"Jacob, can you stay? Please?" Her face was lined with worry and she liked how soothing his hand was in hers. He nodded and laced their hands together. She then turned to Dr. Brennan and asked, "Ok... I'm ready." She tried to sound confident but ended up squeaking out her statement.

"Well..." Dr. Brennan started. "As you know, while you were asleep, we took several tests to see if anything has changed and we did discover several differences." Anabelle tensed. What could they have possibly discovered? "They first thing we discovered were several arrhythmias when we did an echo on you." Anabelle silently gasped and squeezed Jake's hand making him confused.

"What are arrhythmias?" Jake asked the doctor.

"They're improper beatings in the heart. They can be too fast or too slow."Anabelle told him. He nodded and reassuringly squeezed her hand.

"But that's not everything we found." Dr. Brennan warned. He sighed and bowed his head a little. "I don't know how to tell you this Anabelle. But...your valve isn't doing much better. And we have been underestimating what damage it could make if we don't do something." Anabelle bowed her head in a sign of defeat. She knew it. Tears sprung in her eyes and fell on the blanket. She squeezed Jake's hand so hard, if he weren't a shapeshifter, it would probably be broken. Then Dr. Brennan said what she was dreading since the day she was born.

"It looks like we are going to have to replace it and you would have to have open-heart surgery."


	3. The Day's Not Over Yet

**Disclaimer: The only character I own is Anabelle. Everything else belongs to SM.****CH.3**

Jacob looked at Anabelle, hoping she would look at him. They had just found out that she would have to have surgery to replace a valve in her heart. Instead, she was looking down at her lap and was silent. She was still holding his hand which was good, he thought. He then examined her closer and saw tears running down her face. Paul was too busy speaking with the doctor to notice. He just wanted to hold her and tell her everything was going to be alright. He restrained himself and instead squeezed her hand. Paul glanced over at his sister and said, "Dr. Brennan, may we speak silently or at some other time? I think Anabelle needs to go home and rest."

The dr. nodded and scheduled another appointment at his office a week from now. After speaking with Dr. Brennan, Paul took his seat and side hugged Anabelle making her let go of Jacob's hand. Paul leaned down to her ear and whispered, "Let it go." She nodded in his chest and started sobbing. She felt helpless, and dead inside.

"They said that they could prevent it." She sobbed into his shirt. Paul's shirt was stained with tears but he didn't care. He was also shocked when he heard that she would need surgery. "They said I didn't need it. They said it would be ok." Her voice was muffled but Jacob could hear her loud and clear. He almost cried when his Imprint broke down in front of him. He already knew so much about her, and he wanted to know more. In just the few hours he'd known her, he noticed that when she smiled, her eyes narrowed ever do slightly. He knew her birthday, her favorite color and what was wrong with her. She had a heart condition and needed surgery. He didn't know what he would do if he was in her place. God, she would have had to go through so much in her short life.

Jacob suddenly felt guilty. If only he met her earlier. And not with...with...Bella. He'd been so blind and worried about getting Bella to fall for him that he didn't notice his imprint right in front him. He caught a look from Paul who was nodding towards the door. He took the hint and walked out of the room even when he didn't want to. He wanted to walk over to the angel sitting in the hospital bed and hold her.

He walked out into the hall and made his way to the waiting room. When he arrived, he found Sam soothingly rubbing Emily's back who looked nervous with her arms wrapped around midsection. Embry had his head and his hands in nervousness. They all noticed him at the same time and stood. They all took in his appearance as an answer to their silent questions. Emily broke away from Sam and slowly walked towards Jacob, arms open to him. He slowly walked closer to her, making sure Sam was ok with. With a soft nod from Sam, he wrapped his arms around Emily's frame.

Emily had always been the mother of the pack. She was the first imprint and took it upon herself to make sure the pack was comfortable. She cooked for the pack, shopped for them. Even made sure they were emotionally stable because she knew that they have a lot of weight on their shoulders. And now that he found his imprint, discovered her illness, and could possibly lose her from it, he needed comfort more than ever.

Paul looked through the rearview mirror and saw his sister peacefully sleeping, leaning on the window. She didn't talk that much when they left the hospital. She didn't need to, he could see it all in her crying. She was right, the doctors did say she could avoid surgery when she was born. She had already been through so much. The pack don't even know everything that Anabelle had been through. Paul was really good about blocking thoughts in the pack mind.

He looked towards the passenger side and glanced at the ass sitting in it. Of all the guys that his sister could be bonded to forever, it had to be the dick who was in love with a leech lover. Jacob caught his glance and looked at him. "I know you have something to say to me Lahote, so just say it."

"I just don't want my little sister in all your shit." He said. "I won't let you hurt her because of your leech lover. She's been through too much and she's worth everything to me. So don't think that I won't keep her from you." The thought of being away from his imprint made Jacob growl lowly but he allowed Paul to continue. "I also don't want you to tell her. She deserves to figure out on her own what or who she wants. " That was one thing that Jacob agreed on. He didn't want to tell her about it yet. She was young and they just met, so that was a no. He also didn't want her to feel obligated to be with him.

"I want to tell her." He said confidently. "But not now, not with this going on." He turned and looked at the angel sleeping and smiled. He signed and bowed his head. "I want you to know Paul, that I would never ever hurt her. Ever. I just want her to be safe and happy." Paul looked at him and his determined facial expression. He didn't like Jacob but he knew how strong imprinting was and respected the ways of his tribe.

"Ok...but if you hurt her, I swear Jacob, I'll kick your ass all the way to the Bermuda triangle." Paul grumbled, setting his eyes on the road one more. Jacob rolled his eyes and smiled to himself. He had a plan.

"Aww guys! You didn't have to do this." Anabelle exclaimed walking into the Uley residence. The pack had set up an at-home movie theater with blankets and pillows in the living room. Emily, Sam and Embry were all holding giant bowls of popcorn. Emily smiled and walked over to her, handing her the bowl and leading her to the living room.

"Don't blame us, Missy. Jacob here called us and asked if we could set this up." She motioned to Jacob who was blushing ever so slightly. Paul rolled his eyes, he was already whipped. Anabelle was confused. This guy that she just met today planned something for her birthday. It was incredibly sweet of him. She walked over to him and wrapped her arms around his torso, surprising Jacob. He slowly wrapped his arms around her and held her close. He was still trying to wrap his head around what went down at the hospital, but right now he wanted to be with her, with his imprint on her birthday.

"Thank you Jacob." She murmured into his chest.

"It was no biggie. Your birthday's not over yet so..." He said. Anabelle let go of Jacob and grabbed his hand.

"Let's go! I know the perfect movie!" She exclaimed. She dragged Jacob to the couch withthe pack following. They each made themselves comfortable, Sam and Emily on the love seat, Paul and Embry on the couch, while Jacob and Anabelle took the floor.

"I already put the movie in Anabelle." Emily said, pressing the play button. Anabelle gasped when she heard the familiar theme song to Harry Potter.

"How'd you know?" She asked Jacob with wide eyes. They were sitting next to each other on the floor, there arms touching ever so slightly. Jacob shrugged and tilted his head towards the movie rack.

"Figure you wouldn't like all that gory stuff. And I like it too." He smiled when she smiled shyly.

She nodded and said, "It's my favorite." She looked back the TV and tentatively laid her head on his shoulder. From behind Paul silently growled.

"Belle, do you want to sit with me and Embry? There's room." He asked with malice in his voice. She shook her head and smiled at Jacob.

"No I think I'm good right here." She placed her head pack on his shoulder and looked back at the TV, relishing in the happiness of her birthday.

"Thank you again everyone! I truly am grateful for everything y'all did." Anabelle said after hugging everyone goodbye. When she got to Jacob, she wrapped her hands aroundhis torso firmly. He did the same thing but not enough to hurt her. "Thank you." She whispered to him. She then reached up, and placed a peck on his cheek. It sent electric sparks all through his body.

She pulled away and joined Paul and Embry in the threshold. Embry was staying the night. He had been for a while. His mom is always kicking him out for staying out to late. But she didn't know that it was because he had to patrol sometimes. Jacob walked over to Embry once Anabelle was out of ear shot. "Look after her ok? A load of information just got dumped on her today and I don't want her to be overwhelmed." Embry nodded in understanding. He didn't have an imprint but felt it within the pack mind.he knew it was at the upmost importance that any imprint needed to be protected.

Anabelle laid there, staring at her white ceiling with a lot of questions rummaging inside her brain. She had so many thoughts, question, concerns. She couldn't comprehend what she needed to. There was a a mountain of emotions building up inside her and she couldn't hold it in anymore.

She quickly hopped out of bed and carefully patted down to the stairs and into the living room. She was surprised to see Paul on the couch watching TV. She walked over to him and cuddled into him and the blanket spread out on the couch.

"Couldn't sleep either huh?" He asked stroking her hair. She shook her head and cuddled closer into his chest. "Go to sleep bellie button, you need it." She silently nodded again and closed her eyes, listening to Paul's heartbeat.


	4. The Diner

Disclaimer: The only character I own is Anabelle. Everything else belongs to SM.

**CH.4**

Anabelle was peacefully working on homework due the following week in the living room. She wanted to be ahead because next week was spring break. She wasn't like Paul who did his work the night before. She was on top of her classes and didn't let her grades hit 89. Her version of a 'F'. Paul was sitting on the couch, watching TV behind where Anabelle was sprawled out.

"Is this really what people thing of werewolves!?" Paul exclaimed looking at the TV screen. "It just looks like a hairy man who needs to find a barber." Anabelle rolled her eyes and silently thanked GOD for making the phone ring. She patted to the kitchen where the landline was and picked up the phone.

"Hello?" She asked.

"Hey Anabelle! Its Jacob." A husky voice said through the phone.

"Hey Jacob. What's up?" Paul's ears perked up and he listened intently to the phone call taking place.

"Nothing much, just wondering what you are doing later tonight?" he asked in the form of a question.

"Um...no I don't think so. I'm just doing homework for next week. But I'm free, what's up? Did you want to hang out? I could see if Paul is free."

"No, I didn't mean it like that. I meant just you and me. We could probably go eat then go see a movie, whatever you want." He said nervously. He was stuttering like crazy, making Anabelle giggle. Paul walked up to her and glared at the phone. Anabelle shooed him away and turned away from her brother.

"So like a date? Jacob, we only met yesterday." She teased. Paul growled from behind her, which she waved off. She was enjoying this.

"No, no, no. That's not what I meant..." He babbled trying to explain himself.

"Jacob it's fine. I knew what you meant." She then looked at Paul with a smile on her face and turned back once he gave her a nod. "Pick me up at six." And with that, she hung up the phone leaving Jacob to grin from the other end.

Jacob was nervous to say the least. After contemplating it all morning, he finally found the courage to call her. And now, he was going to pick her up at six. He looked at the clock on the oven that read 5:02. He had an hour to get ready and drive over to the Lahote's. "Who was that?" He heard the voice of his father ask. Jacob turned to see the older man rolling into the kitchen in his wheelchair and stopping at the kitchen table.

Jacob hadn't told his father he imprinted. All he did last night was try to comprehend what happened in the last 24 hours to himself. "Um..." He said nervously. He didn't know how he was going to react.

"You imprinted didn't you?" Hi father asked. He old, wise face held a slight smile, showcasing his wrinkles. Jacob was taken aback by his father's question. Was it that obvious? "Jacob, you practically beamed while on the room, Thought I was going blind by the light in this kitchen." He laughed causing his son to blush a deep crimson.

Billy places his elbows on the table and intertwined his hands together. "Who's the lucky lady?" He asked. "Is it Bella?" Jacob quickly shook his head and smiled brightly.

"It's Anabelle." He said dreamily. Just thinking about her made his heart soar. Her long black hair, her deep brown eyes, her little button nose, her incredible smile, and basically. everything.

"Wait wait wait! Anabelle? Paul's sister?" Billy asked halting Jacob's train of thought.

"You know her?" Billy nodded. "And I hadn't?"

"You've been cought up with Bella, son. You have been spending a lot of time with her." He reached over and patted his son's hand. "Don't worry Jacob, you found her and from what I have seen from already, she's a really sweet girl." Billy then straighten up and wheeled himself out of the kitchen.

"Bellie button, that's the third outfit that you've tried on. Just pick one!" Paul groaned from his spot on her bed. Anabelle rolled her eyes while looking at herself in her full length mirror. She was wearing her Nike's, skinny jeans and a white pride shirt that was tucked in. "You're really nervous about this date aren't you?" He teased watching her fiddle with her shirt so it was even. She blushed and shook her head.

"It's not a date Paul. It's uhh...'I'm sorry for ruining your birthday get together." Paul saw her blush and stood up, putting a hand on her shoulder, about to say something to make her less nervous...but the doorbell rang. Anabelle followed Paul to the the front door where Jacob was waiting.

He was leaning against the doorframe, making his biceps flex through his thin white T-shirt. Anabelle couldn't help but notice how big he was. He was at least a foot taller than her and had a lot of bulging muscles everywhere on his body. He was wearing jeans, worn tennis shoes, and also had a leather jacket on.

He immediately stood up straight and smiled at Anabelle who was behind Paul. Paul had a glare set on Jacob, crossing his arms to look intimidating. Anabelle ducked under Paul and stood in front smiling at him.

"Be back by 12, no later." He said to Jacob, who nodded and led Anabelle over the threshold. He took his hand in hers, causing butterflies to form in her stomach, which she shrugged off being hungry. They walked towards their mode of transportation making Anabelle stop in her tracks.

"What?" Jacob questioned her, confused why she stopped mid step.

"I'm...not getting on...on that." She said stuttering and shaking her head causing her hair to blow in her face. She took the chongo from her wrist and tied her hair back in a ponytail. She stared at the motorcycle in front of and then at Jacob. He grinned at her and took her hand once more dragging her to the motorcycle.

"It's not that bad. I've never once been in an accident and...there's a helmet for you." He placed a black helmet on her head and clipped it together for her.

"I still don't like this." She said while he mounted the bike and patted behind him. She cautiously mounted it and wrapped her arms around his torso, clinging to him for dear life. Jacob smiled to himself and revved up the engine causing Anabelle to help in Surprise and tighten her grip on Jacob. And with that, they raced out of the yard and towards Forks.

"What is this place?" Anabelle question while Jacob helped take off her helmet. She looked at the white building with a green roof in confusion.

"It's the diner." Jacob said attaching the helmet to the bike handle. "You've never been here?" She shook her head.

"No, I haven't. I have maybe seen it in passing but no... I've never been here." He smiled and took her hand intertwining their fingers making Anabelle flinch involuntarily. He immediately unlocked them and rubbed his neck nervousness. Anabelle frowned and asked, "Why'd you pull your hand away? Do you not want to hold my hand?" She asked in confusion, then she though about it for a second. "You know why would you? We literally just met yesterday so...let's just...let's just go." She quickly started towards the front door until a warm hand held hers, stopping her from going any further.

"That's not what I meant for it to come across as." Jacob told her softly. "You flinched and I thought you didn't like that. I didn't know if you liked holding my hand as much as I do." He smiled a small smile showing his pearly whites. "And I do know we only met yesterday, but that's why I asked you here. To get to know you." Jacob then intertwined their fingers together which made Anabelle smile. She didn't know how this boy could make her feel this way, but she liked it.

They both stood there, staring until Anabelle pulled Jacob up to the front door of the diner. He led her to the hostess stand where a girl who looked to be in her late teens stood. She looked up and her eyes immediately went to Jacob. The hostess giggled, trying to come off as attractive towards Jacob but he wasn't paying attention. "Table for one?" She asked fluttering her eyes making Anabelle feel disgusted inside.

"Table for two please." Anabelle said, speaking up and showing the hostess their interlocking hands. She smiled brightly at her making Jacob snigger and nod yes. The hostess nodded with a fake smile and led them to a booth. She glared at Anabelle after telling them that someone would come shortly to take their drink orders.

"What was that all about?" Jacob questioned with a sly smile. He had only known his imprint for a little over 24 hours and she was already jealous of girls looking at him in such a way that made her glare and pull the conversation towards herself. And he absolutely loved it.

"I don't know what you mean." Anabelle said dismissing what he was implying. "I merely just made the conversation go faster so we could eat. I'm hungry." Jacob chuckled at her excuse but didn't push it farther.

Their waitress arrived soon after they were seated but not without taking a sly glance towards Jacob and making sure their hands brushed when handing him the menu. She took their drink orders and patted off to get them. Anabelle wasn't to happy with that but said nothing.

"You must really hate it." Anabelle said vaguely making Jacob question what she meant. "People basically undressing you with their eyes." She scrunched her nose in disgust and shivered very noticeably.

Jacob laughed and grinned at her. "I never noticed." She subconsciously blushed and hid her face in the menu. "So how's school going? You'd be in the 8th grade right?", He questioned.

She nodded and picked up her face from the menu. "Yeah, its going good.I have all A's in my classes. I've been thinking of doing the early graduate program when I get to high school though. I need to talk to my dad when he gets home from his trip." Anabelle was then overcome with sadness. She missed her father and wouldn't eat to see him for another week.

Jacob quickly assessed her sadness and asked, "Why an early graduate program? Think you're going to hate it?"

She shook her and chuckled. "It's not that I don't think I'll like it, it's just that if I graduate early, I have a year to earn as much money for college. I have to pay for it myself."

"What do you want to do for college?" Jacob eagerly asked. He wanted to know all he could about the angel sitting in front of him. But he didn't get a chance to because the waitress came back with drinks.

"Sweet tea for you." She said setting Anabelle's glass down in front of her with a smile so fake, Anabelle couldn't help but do the same. The waitress then turned to Jacob and set down his as well. "And a root beer for you." She smiled slyly at him but Jacob wasn't paying attention. After she took their orders the waitress left and Jacob looked at Anabelle. "So college..."

"No no no." Anabelle dismissed him with a wave of her hand. "You are not getting off that easily Mr.what ever your last name is. I get to ask questions now. We are supposed to get to know each other, right." After he nodded she continued. "Now, what is your last name? You already know mine."

"Black." Anabelle had to question whether she heard him correctly.

"Black? As in your father is Billy? As in your great grandfather is Ephraim?" He nodded with slight confusion.

"Why? You been stalking me?" He teased. She shook her head, laughing.

"No Jacob. As you may know, I am very cultured and I know every legend like the back of my hand." She emphasized, waving her hand at him. "And who in the Quileute tribe doesn't know who Ephraim Black is. He's only the best chief in the history of our tribe!" Jake chuckled at her enthusiasm.

"Wait, but if your Ephraim's great grandson, why aren't you alpha?" Anabelle asked. From what she had been told, Everyone had phased not long after one another and that had to at least be 1 to 2 months ago.

Jacob rubbed his neck, not knowing how to answer the question, so he took the easiest answer and went with it. "Well, Sam was already alpha and I didn't want to take that away. And I had just phased and didn't have any experience so..." Anabelle nodded in understanding but didn't get to say anything else because their waitress came with their food.

"A cheeseburger, plain and dry...and a steak, medium well." She said placing the plates in front of them. "Careful, they, are extremely hot." She pulled out a black tab and gave it to Jacob. "I already have the bill for you." She placed the tab tentatively in his hand and winked making both Jacob and Anabelle uncomfortable. Still, Jacob thanked her.

"Can I see that?" Anabelle asked once Jacob opened the tab. He nodded and placed it in her hands. "Tell me..." She started, pulling out the receipt and showing it to him without looking at it. "Does it have a phone number? A heart? And the words, 'Call me' on it?" She asked smirking. Jacob was shocked to see all of it on the receipt.

"How...how did you?" He stuttered making Anabelle giggle.

"This isn't my first rodeo Jacob."

Dinner was good from what Jacob could tell. Him and Anabelle talked about random things, keeping the conversation light. He learned not only a lot of things about her, but little things she did. Whenever she really deep in thought, she twirls her hair in her finger. Or when she's talking, she does so with her hands, making Jacob smile at her enthusiasm.

"So...what movie are we seeing?" Anabelle asked giddily, walking towards the motorcycle.

"That's for me to know and you to find out." He said, taking the helmet and giving it to her to put on.

"Anabelle?" A voice called from the other side of the parking lot. Anabelle turned to see who called her and she gasped.

"Mason?"


	5. Movies, Mason, and Ms Swan

A/N I am happy to receive reviews from y'all. I do not have a beta so all the errors are my mistake. If y'all have any suggestions, feel free to comment. I am open to what you want me to write.

**Disclaimer: The**** only character I own is Anabelle. Everything else belongs to SM.**

**CH.5**

Anabelle hadn't seen him in a year. He had grown immensely. He was no longer the lanky boy with glasses. He had muscles, and he also matured more in his face. She almost didn't recognize him from across the parking lot. "Anabelle?" He called walking towards her. Anabelle didn't know what came over her but she let go of Jacob's hand and ran full speed into Mason's arms. They clung to each other, neither one of them letting go. Jacob watched in confusion and slight anger as this mysterious boy was hugging his imprint in such a way. Jacob growled softly and started walking towards them. Anabelle pulled away from Mason and gaped at him.

"Where have you been? I haven't seen you in forever." She was so happy that he was home. Last year, he got excepted into a one-year basketball program in California. He left the week after her thirteenth birthday and didn't know if he'd be there for her next one.

"I just got in late yesterday...tried calling you for your birthday but you never answered." He said making Anabelle wince. She was reminded of the events of the day before and wasn't over it. Jacob put a comforting arm on her shoulder, making her feel relaxed. Mason looked at Jacob, examining him and taking him all in. "So this is why you never called me...you have a boyfriend." Mason teased. Anabelle blushed and swatted her hands.

"No no no...that's not... we're not...um...sorry. No, um...Mason, this is Jacob, a friend of mine." She looked towards Jacob who was groaning inwardly. She liked the kid, he thought. "Um...Jacob, this is my best friend Mason." Jacob looked towards the boy in question and stuck his hand out for him to shake. Mason took it and winced slightly at the pressure Jacob was displaying. They both nodded at each other in respect, not so much on Jacob's part. He wanted to leave and didn't want to see this boy ever again.

"Sorry Mason but me and Anabelle have a movie to catch,so we should really get going." Jacob grabbed Anabelle's hand and intertwined their fingers, pulling her towards him as a sign of possession. Anabelle was his imprint and this boy was not going to change that. Anabelle was confused by Jacob's abrupt mention of leaving but understood that they had a movie to get to.

"Yeah no...that's fine." Mason said. He looked towards Anabelle and smiled at her. "You'll call me right? I start school on Monday so I'll see you?" Anabelle nodded and gave him another hug. That both squeezed each other tight and let go at the same time. They said their goodbyes then Anabelle and Jacob made their way to the motorcycle once more.

"What was that?" She asked, putting on her helmet and tightening it.

"What was what?" Jacob asked, feigning innocence.

"Basically snatching me away from Mason. You know, I haven't seen him in a year." Anabelle was upset. She missed her best friend so much. And now that he was home, she wanted to make up for the year she lost. Jacob quickly rushed to her and held her hands.

"No no no that's not what I meant to do. He mentioned your birthday and I know yesterday wasn't the best so I tried to steer clear of the subject. And we do need to get going. I'm really sorry." Anabelle had her head hung so she couldn't see Jacob but she could her the emotion in his words. She looked up and smiled, letting him know that she forgave him. He smiled back and hugged her, wrapping his warm, strong arms around her tiny frame.

They let go after a few seconds and Jacob helped her out on her helmet but not before Anabelle asked one more question. "So...what movie are we seeing?" Jacob chuckled and looked at her with a smirk.

"Your really impatient, you know that Anabelle?"

They arrived at the theater 15 minutes early, and that was before previews. Anabelle hopped of the bike and took off her helmet while Jacob made sure the bike was off and the brake was down. She waited for him patiently and smiled when he grabbed her hand. He led her to the ticket booth and took out his wallet.

"Two for Half Blood Prince." Anabelle gasped while Jacob grinned and winked at her.

"We're seeing Half Blood Prince?!" Anabelle exclaimed. She has been dying to see it but Paul swore he would never take her again after watching Order of the Phoenix. "Thank you so much!" After Jacob paid, Anabelle smiled up at him but didn't do anything. "Um Jacob?" She questioned. She waved her hand down, telling him to bend. "Your so tall, I can't even do this." Jacob almost gasped when his imprint wrapped he small arms around his neck and held him there. He slowly placed his arms and hands around her waist, careful not to touch anywhere he wasn't supposed to. But just before they pulled apart a voice made Jacob freeze.

"Jake?" That voice. The voice of the girl he thought he was in love with. The voice of the girl who is hated by the wolves in his pack. The voice of the girl he surprisingly didn't want to see at the moment. "Jacob?" The voice was closer making Anabelle pull away and look to where it came from. Jacob almost whined when she pulled away but held it in. He finally looked towards the voice and saw Bella Swan and a girl he didn't recognize with glasses walking towards them. He was surprised to see a hard, cold glare appear on Anabelle's face. According to his knowledge, they had never met. Bella and her friend walked up to them, both smiling but for completely different reasons.

"Bells, I didn't know you'd be here." Jacob said in utter shock with was 100% real. He maneuvered to where he was facing Bella but still held Anabelle by the waist. Anabelle smiled slightly and leaned into Jacob, causing Bella to wear a confused expression. She quickly smiled, which was fake and looked at Anabelle.

"Hi, I'm Bella." She held out her hand which Anabelle took, slightly wincing while smiling even though she was glaring internally.

"Anabelle...Anabelle Lahote. You might be familiar with my brother, Paul. He's mentioned you." Bella tensed and released Anabelle's hand.

"What movie are y'all seeing tonight?" She asked looking at Jacob, conveying that the question was for him. But Anabelle didn't care.

"The new Harry Potter!" She exclaimed. "It's one of me and Jake's favorites. It's his birthday gift to me." She intertwined their hands together and cuddled next to Jacob making Bella cringe slightly. Jacob grinned at his imprint and the way she was possessive over him already. "Well...we better get going...wanna make sure we pack up on snacks." Anabelle said directly towards Jacob who nodded and led her towards the concession stand.

"See you later Bells." He said. "What the hell was that?" He smirked looking down at the possessive angel at his side. Anabelle shrugged and grabbed a few boxes of candies.

"If you punch my brother in the face, I already hate you." Jacob laughed and ordered popcorn and drinks for them both. He was going to enjoy this and she was too.

"Thank you for doing this for me." Anabelle whispered to Jacob while watching the movie. Their hands were intertwined while her head was on his shoulder. Bella and Angela, they learned, were sitting on Jacob's side. It was the credits scene and they were just sitting, neither of them wanted to get up just yet. Bella was not happy about this Anabelle character that's in Jacob's life. She had a feeling that she was the reason that Jacob blew her off yesterday. And she didn't like that comment about Paul either.

"It was no problem." Jake said. He wanted to say more but didn't know how. He wanted to tell her everything that was running through his mind. But they'd only met yesterday and she had a lot on her plate. They all made their way to the exit and into the entryway. Bella walked closer to Jacob until he grabbed Anabelle's hand and intertwined them.

This made Bella grip his arm and ask, "Can I speak to you? Alone?" She added making Anabelle roll her eyes. Jacob held Anabelle's hand even more but hesitantly let go after Anabelle said she wanted to speak with Angela. After making sure Anabelle was ok, Jacob led Bella outside and turned towards her expectantly.

"What is it Bella? I need to get Anabelle home." He didn't mean for it to come out as aggressive as it did, but he had an hour left with his imprint and he intended to savor that hour. Bella was taken aback by his aggressiveness but spoke.

"I just want to know why you blew me off yesterday. We made plans but you didn't call. I went to your house but Billy said you were out but didn't tell me wear." That was because Jacob's father didn't know where he was. Billy didn't know his son spent half the day at the hospital with his imprint who had a major health condition. Billy had only found out that he imprinted tonight.

Jacob walked closer to her and grabbed her cold hands. "I am sorry Bells. Maybe we can hang out next weekend? It's just..." He paused to look at Anabelle through the window. She was excitedly talking to Angela about the movie and Jacob smiled watching her. He turned back to Bella. "I really messed up yesterday and I'm trying to make it right. I ruined a wonderful girl's birthday that ended her up in the hospital." Bella was about to ask but Jacob cut her off before she could. "I really need to make things right with her. She's been through so much and I don't even know the half of it. So I would just like to say...I'm so-" He was cut off by cold arms wrapping around his torso.

"I understand Jacob. Now go before she kills me with her eyes." Bella giggled looking at Anabelle. Jacob looked towards his imprint who was still talking Angela but giving both of them the side eye. He laughs and leads Bella back inside. They walked towards the two girls who stopped talking and looked at them. "We better get going Ang, gotta cook Charlie dinner." Angela nodded and smiled at Anabelle.

"Call me ok, maybe we can set something up for you?" Anabelle nodded and smiled. Jacob grew confused by why they were talking about but assured himself he'd know later. Bella and Angela left soon after, having said goodbyes, leaving Jacob and Anabelle.

"We still have an hour." Jacob noted to her. "Wanna go get ice cream." Anabelle smiled.

"You read my mind."


	6. Ice Cream and Insecurities

**Disclaimer: Nothing is mine. Everything is SM's. Only own my OC's.****A/N Sorry for not posting been a really emotional week and haven't been that well so probably gonna take a break so I can get a few chapters going so I'm ahead. Make sure to review. Writing this as I go so I can take y'all's suggestions if y'all want. Thank you!**

**CH. 6**

Jacob and Anabelle made their way to the ice cream parlor across the street when Anabelle asked, "What did Bella want?" She caught the glances made her way and didn't ignore them.

"She just wanted to know why I blew her off yesterday." He shrugged, opening the door for Anabelle. They made their way to the counter and sat on the red, foam stools. They sat right next to each other , facing one another. "We made plans next week so...hey, you said your dad was coming home next week?" Anabelle absently nodded, not thinking anything of it. But Jacob wanted to make sure his imprint was occupied while hanging out with Bella. He wanted someone with her...especially in the vulnerable state she was in right now.

"What are you going to get?" Anabelle asked pulling Jacob out of his thoughts. She was holding the menu and looking at it, sticking her tongue out just the slightest bit in concentration. "I'm thinking of getting the chocolate waffle cone...it's always been my favorite. But...I mean, you can get whatever you want..." She continued while Jacob looked at her. She was absolutely beautiful in his eyes. She had light freckles that colored her dark skin light on her nose. Jacob never noticed this before but her ears were pierced. She wore diamond studs, the tiny ones you could barely see. Anabelle caught his gaze and stopped talking.

"What is it?" She asked. "Is there something in my hair?" She reached for her hair and combed through it but stopped when Jacob laughed. "What's so funny?" She pouted. Jacob looked at her, smiling causing her to blush.

"You know, you're cute when you blush." Jacob said causing her to blush a shade deeper. She shook her head and smiled slightly.

"You know, you're the first boy who has ever told me that. Besides Paul but...he's my brother. Doesn't really count." She blushed and hid her face with her hands.

"What can I get y'all today?" A women's voice asked them, coming up through the aisle. Anabelle looked up and smiled. "Anabelle! I haven't seen you in forever. How are you?"

"I'm good Jenny." Anabelle replied. "Just came to get some ice cream with a friend. Jacob this is Jenny, Mason's mom. Jenny this is Jacob." She introduced them to each other. Jacob smiled at the older women but groaned inside. He didn't like that his imprint was so close to the boy's family. Just another reason that he needed to get to know her.

"So what can I get y'all?" Jenny asked.

"I'll take the chocolate waffle cone with chocolate ice cream please." Anabelle ordered then turned to Jacob. "Jacob, what about you?"

"I'll have the same, thank you." Jacob replied, not taking his eyes off of Anabelle. She felt butterflies again from his gaze but brushed it off. They sat there in silence until Jacob couldn't bear to not hear her voice. "Wanna play 20 questions?"

"Sure. You go first." They turned their stools towards each other, their legs pressed up against each other.

"Ok...so college? You never answered before." Anabelle shook her head smiling and playfully glared at him.

"Well if you must know Mr.Black, I want to go into the culinary arts." She looked pointedly towards causing him raise an eyebrow.

"And that would be...?" Anabelle chuckled.

"It means I want to go into the food business. Specifically sweet, sugary foods. My mom went to culinary school in Texas, where she was from before meeting Dad. Guess I got it from her." Jacob smiled at the thought of his imprint cooking in the kitchen with an spring on. Flour clouded in her hair, a bright smile on her face.

He was taken out of his thoughts when he heard someone snapping. He fluttered his eyes and looked at his imprint, wearing a confused expression. "Lost you there for a second. Your ice cream is gonna melt." Anabelle said nodding towards the waffle cone standing on a metal rack. He picked it up and started to eat it. "Ok my question." Anabelle started. "Do you want to go to college? What do you want to do after all this?" Jacob knew she was talking about the whole vampire thing. The only reason he is a shapeshifter.

Jacob thought about it for a minute then spoke. " I guess it depends. I really like cars, you know fixing them up. So maybe goin into the mechanic business. But I guess I could find work anywhere I wanted." He tried to not make it a big deal. He would follow her anywhere she wanted to go.

Anabelle's face lit up when he mentioned cars. "You want to be a mechanic? I love cars. I helped my dad and Paul rebuild his truck. The one he has now." Jacob smiled brightly. They had something in common.

"Yeah, I've fixed up a few bikes and my car, a rabbit." Jacob beamed, proud of himself and what he could share with his imprint.

Anabelle's eyes brightened up even more. "A Volkswagen Rabbit!? What model?" She asked eagerly. Jacob was surprised she knew about his car being a Volkswagen.

"1986." He answered.

"And you did it all by yourself?" He nodded and her jaw dropped. "Oh my God! That's so incredible. Wow, you must've been really proud of yourself." She exclaimed. He nodded, agreeing with her.

They continued asking each other questions, sharing each other's interests with one another. They laughed and overall enjoyed each other's company. The bell to the front door opened and out poured a group of girls around Anabelle's age. She tensed, causing Jacob to be alert.

"Is something wrong?" He asked placing a hand on her knee, calming her a little.

She looked at him uneasily but was interrupted before she could speak. "Is that Anabelle? Anabelle Lahote?" A high pitched voice called from the door. Anabelle cringed but turned around nonetheless. There stood Becca Berger, her childhood bully. Well, current bully, to be exact. Becca was the middle school's 'It girl.' Flanking her were her two goonies, Kay and Ellie. They did everything Becca said because her family was one of the wealthiest in La Push. Her father is Quileute while her mother is white. They divorced making Becca hop from each, but she still went to La Push Middle. "How's that gang member brother of yours doing?" Becca asked causing Anabelle to glare and Jacob to silently growl.

Becca turned towards Jacob with a glare but it softened into a smile. "Is this little girl bothering you?" She asked coming closer in between the two. "I haven't seen you around before. What's your name handsome?" She fluttered her eyes causing both Jacob and Anabelle to feel disgusted. Becca put a hand on Jacob's bicep but he took it off right when it make contact.

"Don't think you need to know it considering I'm a part of that gang you're talking about. Now if you'll excuse me..." He stood up, tossing the money for the icecream on the counter and grabbed Anabelle's hand. "We were just leaving, good night ladies." He nodded towards the girls and led a stunned Anabelle out the door.

Jacob and Anabelle were walking towards the bike when he asked, "Is something wrong?" He noticed that she had been very quiet since they left the ice cream shop. Her hand wasn't even holding his, it was limp. He received a sniffle in response making him quickly turn her towards him. Her eyes were red from crying and her cheeks were stained with tears.

"I'm sorry you had to see that, Jacob. I didn't know she'd be there." She sobbed making Jacob pull her into his chest. He led her to a bench and held her tightly in his arms.

After she calmed down, he pulled away from her slightly and wiped away the rest of her tears. "Wanna talk about it?" Anabelle sniffled and wiped her eyes.

She took a deep breath and said, "That girl at the ice cream shop was Becca...my ex best friend from elementary school." Anabelle started slumping in her seat with Jacob's arm around her. She leaned into his touch and continued. "Middle school came around and she changed into a completely different person. She stopped hanging out with me and instead with all the athletic kids who played sports. She started talking all this crap about me and basically just trying to make my life a living hell." She stopped to take a drop breath with Jacob wiping the tears that silently started to fall. "We had this really big fight at the end of sixth grade, and she..." she sniffled and covered her face in her hands.

"You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to." Jacob told her softly, rubbing her back in a conforming manner. "I won't judge. It sounds like you don't want to, so I won't push." Anabelle looked up saw the emotion and the amount of certainty in his eyes. She faintly nodded and continued.

"It got worse last year because of Mason leaving because he wasn't there to stand up for me. I just kind of shrugged it off." Tears were again forming in her eyes and she started crying. Without thinking, Jacob wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into his lap. He took her snuggling into his chest as a good thing and rubbed her back with his hands.

It took Anabelle a few minutes to compose herself, and when she did, she suddenly felt extremely embarrassed. "I'm really sorry Jacob. I didn't mean for this to happen..." She was quickly cut off when a warm hand took a soft hold on her cheek, making her look into Jacob's eyes.

"It it certainly not your fault for what that brat did tonight. And don't feel bad. I want you to be able to talk to me about anything you want." He said with a lot of conviction in his voice. Anabelle nodded into his chest and hugged him tighter. Jacob then vowed to always be there for his imprint and make her life happy, however long that was.


	7. Belated Birthday

**Disclaimer: Don't own nothing**

**Chapter 7**

It was Monday morning and Anabelle did not want to get up. After Jacob had dropped her off last night, she finished her homework for the week and finally laid her head down in her pillow at 12.30. "Time to get up Bellie Button!" Paul yelled from the kitchen. Anabelle groaned but got up and took a shower. She dressed warm today, seeing that the clouds were a lot darker than yesterday. She made her way downstairs and was puzzled to see that there wasn't breakfast on the table. "Eating breakfast at Emily's today." Paul said grabbing his keys. Anabelle nodded and grabbed her backpack from the hook and lunch money from the counter before following her older brother out the door and into the truck.

"Why breakfast at Em's?" Anabelle asked turning the radio on Latino Hits.

"We've been seeing the red head coming closer to the borders of the Rez so we need a new patrolling schedule. Double down on shifts." Anabelle nodded and tangled her hands together in nervousness. She had never seen a vampire, but because of the story of the one with the dreads, she was already terrified. Paul grabbed her hand, squeezing it to reassure her. She looked up at smiled slight at him, then turning to the window, listening to the music on the radio.

"Need any help Em?" Jacob asked from the entryway of the kitchen. He had just gotten there and saw Emily first. He was a little giddy this morning. This was a breakfast/pack meeting and he needed to know his patrol schedule but also wanted to see Anabelle, his imprint.

"I've got it, Jake. Go to the boys. Oh! Wait. How was last night? You went out with Anabelle right?" He smiled and nodded walking over to Emily, leaning in the entry way.

"Oh my God Em, she's perfect. The most perfect girl I have ever met. She loves everything I love. Same music, same hobbies. Sure she's a bookworm and I like soccer but...she gets me. God she's perfect." Emily smiled at him but frowned when he scowled. "Emily..." He said with deep sadness. "She's getting bullied. Apparently it's been going on for awhile but got worse this past year." Emily was surprised at this newfound information. She had only known Anabelle for a few months but never thought that she would be the one to be bullied.

They were interrupted when the front door opened and Paul stepped in followed by Anabelle. She greeted Emily with a hug and a thank you for the invite. When she got to Jacob, she didn't even think when she wrapped her arms around his torso. He reflexively embraced back and held it for a few seconds. The both smiled shyly at each other before Paul said, "I'm starving, let's go eat." They all made their way to the table with food in hand, setting it down and then sitting in their seats. Anabelle and Paul both greeted everyone then waited for Sam to speak. He made a a sign to eat, making the girls get food first, followed by the boys who greedily dumped food on their plates.

"As you all know, the redhead is getting closer to our borders and is a threat to our tribe and people." Anabelle cuddled closer to Paul and buried her head into his chest. She was scared for not only the tribe, but her family who would have to hunt the vampire down. "Not only do we need to double down on shifts but we need our patrolling range to branch out to the Swan residence." Sam added calmly.

"What!? What he hell do we have to do that for!?" Paul exploded making Anabelle jump and lean away form him. Jacob grabbed hold of her chair and held it closer to him. He knew Paul was going to act like this but didn't expect him to almost hurt his imprint.

"Bella's a human, we have to protect her too." Jacob said hoping that would help. It didn't. Paul looked at Jacob, furious.

"Oh please...you only want her to live cause you're in love with her." Paul spit back. Jacob growled, making Paul as well. Anabelle started feeling overwhelmed because of all of the tension so she pulled her inhalers from her bag.

"Bellie button, are you alright?" Paul asked her, scooting closer. Anabelle was now having trouble and breathing rapidly. "She's having an asthma attack. Emily go grab a glass of water please. Here take these." He grabbed the puffers, taking the vials and shaking them before putting them back. He then assisted her I taking two puffs on each and coaching her through her breathing. "Inhala, exhala. Así." Paul said. He took the glass from Emily, giving it to Anabelle to sip. She leaned back in her chair, breathing in and out. Jacob was stunned from the whole thing, he was frozen in place.

"Jacob, are you ok?" Anabelle softly asked, touching his arm, getting Jacob out of his frozen like state. He nodded and asked, "Are you?"

"I'm fine. I didn't take my puffers today because of coming here but I'm ok." She smiled making Jacob smile, but only slightly.

"Now because of Paul patrolling during the day, we need someone to pick up and drop off Anabelle from school everyday. She needs a designated driver." Sam said motioning towards the 14 year old. She was the only one in school. The rest took online classes.

"I'll do it." Jacob spoke nonchalantly making Paul growl. Anabelle shrugged and picked up her plate, taking it to the sink to be washed.

"I'm fine with it." She said scrubbing the plate then rinsing it. She walked back to the table and grabbed her backpack with Jacob right behind her. She kissed Paul bye and said, "Bye everyone." Before walking out the door.

"Where's the motorcycle?" She asked as Jacob pulled out a pair of keys from his shorts.

"We're not taking the bike. We're taking the rabbit." He smiled seeing her face light up. He led her the the car with Anabelle looked at it wondrously.

"Wow! It looks so good. What's the mileage an this thing?" She asked getting into the passenger seat and tossing her backpack to the back. Jacob hopped into the driver's seat, turning the keys into the ignition.

"Uh...it's decent." He replied vaguely making Anabelle giggle. They made their way to the middle school in silence before Anabelle turned on the radio, tuning the dial for a station. "It doesn't have a lot of stations." Jacob said sadly.

"It's ok." Anabelle replied. "Just looking for a certain one." She tuned it a little more until she found what she was looking for. "Got it." The sound of an unfamiliar song filled the car and Jacob looked at Anabelle questionably. "Just listen."

Y ya me contaron

Que te acomplejas de tu imagen

Y mira el espejo, que linda eres sin maquillaje

Y si eres gorda o flaca, todo eso no me importa a mí

Y tampoco soy perfecto sólo sé que yo te quiero así

Y el corazón

No tiene cara

Y te prometo que lo nuestro nunca va a terminar

Y el amor

Vive en el alma,

Ni con un deseo sabes que nada de ti ir a cambiar, prende una vela,

Rezale a Dios

Y dale gracias que tenemos ese lindo corazón, rende una vela,

Pide perdón

Y por creer que tu eres fea te dedico esta canción

Y si eres gorda o flaca, todo eso no me importa a mi

Y tampoco soy perfecto sólo sé que yo te quiero así

Oh

Ladies,

Y'all already know

Royce

Too strong

Y si eres gorda o flaca, todo eso no me importa a mi

Y tampoco soy perfecto sólo sé que yo te quiero así

Y el corazón (y el corazón)

No tiene cara (no tiene cara)

Y te prometo que lo nuestro nunca va a terminar, y el amor (amor, amor)

Vive en el alma

Ni con un deseo sabes que nada de ti va a cambiar, nadie es perfecto

En el amor (en el amor) ay seas blanquita, morenita, no me importa el color

Mírame a mi (mírame a mi) mírame bien (mírame bien)

Aunque tenga cara de bonito me acomplejo yo también

Si eres gorda o flaca, todo eso no me importa a mi

Tampoco soy perfecto sólo sé que yo te quiero así

Sentimiento

C'mon

Y el corazón (el corazón) no tiene cara (no, no, no)

Y te prometo que lo nuestro nunca va a terminar y el amor (y el amor)

Vive en el alma

Ni con un deseo sabes que nada de ti va a cambiar

Sincerely,

Royce

Jacob watched in awe as his imprint sang the Spanish song. Her voice held such grace and she was slowly moving to the rhythm of the music. He didn't know a lick of Spanish but he was willing to learn so he could understand what she was saying. After she sang the last song, Anabelle looked towards Jacob and blushed under his gaze. "You could change it if you want. That's one of my favorites."

"No no. That was beautiful. Are you in choir or something?" Jacob asked still dazed.

"No, not choir. I'm in band. I only sing for recreational purposes." She chuckled silently. "Paul can attest to that."

"What did that all mean?" He asked. "The song." Anabelle looked at him smiling.

"The song was about a man who loved a woman. He said that it didn't matter what she looked like, all that mattered was her heart. He didn't care if she was a different skin color than him or if she had a certain type of body she had. El corazon no tiene cara. The heart doesn't have a face. All that matters is that they love each other. Their not perfect but their perfect for each other." She finished with a smile making Jacob take an intake of breath. She was so beautiful. "It was one of the first songs I learned."

"Sounds beautiful." He said dazed making Anabelle blush again. "You said you're band? What instrument?" He asked pulling into the middle school.

"Clarinet." She answered. "Working my way to marching band. That is , if I can." He hesitantly grabbed her hand and rubbed her knuckles. She was talking about her situation. He appointment was this weekend and he could sense she was nervous. "Thanks for the ride. You picking me up after right?" He nodded and with that, she unbuckled herself and opened the door before stepping out.

"Anabelle!" A voice yelled from behind her. Anabelle turned to see Mason walking up to her. "Hey."

"Hey Mason. Ready for your first day?" She asked. He nodded and took a folded price of paper out of his picket and handed it to her.

"My schedule." She took it and scanned through his classes. She looked up and beamed at him.

"All but one. You have seventh period athletics and I have band." He nodded, smiling and put it back in his pocket. "Come on the bell is gonna ring." She grabbed his hand and tugged him through the door.

The school day had passed very quickly, with Mason talking excitedly about all the stories from basketball. Anabelle clung to his every word. They were walking out towards the parking lot when Mason stopped her.

He shook off his backpack and unzipped it. He pulled out a blue wrapped box with gold ribbon and gave it to her. "I know I'm late but Happy Birthday B!" She smiled and ripped it open, gasping at the content inside. She was moved to tears when she saw the signed Tim Duncan Jersey and two signed profiles of Manu Ginóbili and Tony Parker. He pulled out the Jersey and held it for her to fully see. Anabelle was a crying mess but nonetheless grabbed Mason and held him to her, tears running down her. "They all came so I was able to get them signed."

"Oh Mase, thank you so much! Please don't tell me they cost a lot." She said into his shirt. She pulled back and watched him shrug.

"Not much...but I did kind of had to dip in my summer savings." He said rather quick. "But...it was was worth it." He added before she could protest.

"Anabelle!" A voice called making her turn her attention towards it. Jacob was leaning against the rabbit with a smile on his face. He walked towards her completely ignoring Mason an asked with , "Are you ok? Why are you crying? What's that?"

"No Jacob, I'm fine. Look! Do you like it? Mason got it for me when he was in California. It's a birthday present!" Jacob smiled at her being happy but wasn't happy about the closeness with this Mason kid. "He remembered that this is my favorite team."

Jacob helped her out everything back in the box and held it for her. "Are you ready to go?" He asked. She nodded and looked towards Mason.

"Do you have a ride? We could drop you off at the diner." She looked towards Jacob. "Is that ok?" Jacob nodded tightly.

"Oh. Thanks! That'll be great." He followed Anabelle to the rabbit leaving Jacob to follow, growling softly.


	8. Helping Hands & First Dibs

Disclaimer : Nothing is mine except for Anabelle and Mason.

A/N Be sure to review and follow for more. I love hearing your thoughts as well.

Chapter 8

"So is he like your personal chauffeur or what?" Mason asked Anabelle quietly. They had both sat in the back of the car so they could talk. Jake scowled and rolled his eyes. Even though Mason was whispering, Jacob could hear him.

"He just volunteered to drive me to and from school. Paul works during the day so he can't." Jacob gave her a soft nod, telling her she answered well.

"Does he not go to school? What does he do for work?" Mason further asked. Anabelle bit her lip looking for Jacob's eye in silent questioning.

"He works with me at the auto shop. We also do tribal duties, making sure everyone is happy, asking people what we could do to help them with things." Jacob interjected. Anabelle gave him a grateful smile and saw that Mason was ok with that answer.

"He also does online classes because he can't be at school all the time." She added. "So...how was it being back at school?" Anabelle asked drawing attention away from her brother.

"Different...but a good different. It was good seeing everyone that I hadn't seen in a year. Now the work I'm not so thrilled about." He added making Anabelle laugh along with him. "Now what's going on with you B? I feel like there's something you're not telling me." Anabelle cringed making Jacob cringe. He just wanted to pull over and hold her forever.

"How bout we talk more once we get to the parlor, ok?" Mason just nodded.

"Hey kids!" Jenny said walking over to the table that sat Jacob, Anabelle and Mason. "I thought you were taking the bus." She said towards Mason.

"B offered me a ride." He said nodding towards Anabelle. Jenny nodded then disappeared, leaving the three alone. They both retrieved their homework from their backpacks while Jacob looked at the menu. "Ok answer me this." Mason said pointing to something in their math textbook. "How would you find this angle if you don't have this one?" Jacob growled quietly but Anabelle heard him. She turned towards him, giving his a questioning glance. She scooted closer to Mason and pointed at something on the homework.

"In order to find this angle you have to find this one. And since this angle, angle A, is a part of a straight angle you would subtract 85 from 180, giving you..."

"95. So...You add 95 and 45 which is 140. " Anabelle nodded making Mason continue. "So Angle B is 40." Anabelle smiled at him and nodded. Just then Jenny appeared, holding a tray of three chocolate milkshakes. She placed them on the table making everyone give their thanks.

Jacob took out his wallet and tried giving Jenny the money but she shook her head. "No charge. You gave my son a ride home." And with that she left. He looked over to Anabelle who was smiling slightly at him. He caught her glance and winked at her making her blush.

They stayed like that, Anabelle and Mason doing homework while Jacob kept his eyes on Anabelle. He noticed how she chewed on her pencil when she wasn't using it, or how she raised her eyebrow, as if asking a silent question to the paper. Jacob had tried helping her but Mason would always be there before him making him slightly angry. But this was his chance, he thought.

Anabelle raised her eyebrow and turned towards Mason, who was working out a problem himself. "Do you need some help?" Jacob saw himself ask. He didn't know what she was doing but was determined to help her in anyway he could.

"Not unless you know anything about history and the Bill of Rights." Anabelle said motioning towards her homework. "I have to memorize the Bill of Rights for my test on Wednesday." Jacob scooted closer to her to her making her feel enveloped in his heat.

"That's easy if you know the hand signals." He said pointing to the paper. He continued when he saw the confused expression on her face. He then went on to explain the amendments with his hands, showing her what she could do for each number.

"That is so easy!" Anabelle exclaimed while doing the motions so she could memorize them. "You could be of use for me Mr. Black." Jacob chuckled and shook his head. That was the end of her homework so Anabelle started to pack up. "We gotta go Mase but I'll see you tomorrow, OK?" Mason nodded getting up from his chair and hugging Anabelle around the waist. Jacob growled again and started for the door. He did not want to see his imprint being embraced by anyone other than him and her family.

"Bye Mase." Anabelle said walking out. She saw Jacob growl and wanted to know what was wrong.

"Hey, what you doing?" Anabelle asked getting into the Rabbit. A frown was etched on his face and he was staring off into space. "Did you have something to do after school? We didn't have to come over here." She was starting to feel upset. Jacob glanced over at her and saw that she was upset. He quickly scooted towards her, holding her head in his hands.

"Hey, what's wrong? Are you ok?" Jacob asked. She numbly nodded and smiled at him, clearly fake.

"Where we going now?" She asked. She wanted to stay with Jacob longer. She didn't know why but when she spent time with Jacob she fell warm, at peace with everything. "I guess you could drop me off at home. Paul will be tired from patrol and I need to figure out what I'm making for dinner." She added with sadness.

"You make dinner every night?"Jacob questioned, turning out of the parking lot. Anabelle nodded thinking of all the times she's made dinner. "Well...we could go to Emily's. My dad's at the Clearwater's for dinner so I go to Sam's sometimes." He suggested. He then quickly added, "Paul will probably be there as well so..."

It took a moment for Anabelle to answer but she finally said, "Yeah...yeah let's go." Jacob let out a sigh of relief and continued driving them towards Emily's.

They arrived at Emily's a while later, the ride being filled with light conversation and the radio. Anabelle walked through the front door with Jacob trailing. "Hey Em!" Anabelle greeted. Emily was at the stovetop stirring something Anabelle saw as mashed potatoes.Jacob greeted Emily and left to go find the boys. "Need help Em?" Anabelle asked walking up the the counter. Emily smiled at her and shook her head, telling Anabelle to go with the boys.

She walked out into the living room and sat in-between Paul and Jacob with Sam and Embry sitting in chairs. "Hey little sister! How was school?" Paul asked. She shrugged her shoulders.

"It was school. Mason came home from California so we did homework at the parlor like we used to. Jacob here was generous to take me." He motioning to him who smiled. "It was good all around." Emily later called the pack and Anabelle to come eat. Jacob was confused when no one made a move to get food. They were all sitting there while Anabelle grabbed the food she wanted. He reached for a roll when his imprint's hand slapped it away.

"Ouch woman! What was that for?" Everyone snickered.

"No one gets food until Bellie Button here gets what she wants. Emily came up with it so she doesn't have to fight us or not get any. It's fair." Paul said. Once she was done, the pack grabbed food. Anabelle sat next to Jacob and whispered, "Sorry for smacking you." He chuckled and replied, "no hard feelings Bellie Button." Anabelle rolled her eyes and pouted leaving Jacob to wink at her.

The week followed like Monday. Anabelle and Paul go to the Uley's for breakfast, after, Jacob drives Anabelle to and from school, finally ending the day back at the Uley's. The cycle continued. If you asked Jacob, he would say it was the best week of his life. Spending a few hours a day with his imprint was heaven in his eyes. He loved hearing about her day. She was so smart, all A's in all her classes. He, himself was a B student. He was also surprised that on Wednesday, she asked him if HE needed help on his homework. Now it was Friday and Jacob had just picked up AnabelleFrom school.

"Oh hell no!" Anabelle called from the front door of the school. Mason followed her line of vision and whistled at the Harley in front of the parking lot. Leaning on it was Jacob wearing a grin and black leather jacket. They both walked over to Jacob, Mason checking out the bike and Anabelle frowning and Jacob making him wink at her. "Um...where is the Rabbit?" She asked. Jacob rolled his eyes and grabbed her backpack. Mason was still admiring the bike.

"Just didn't feel like it today. And it's a nice day, dontcha think." He grabbed a helmet off the back and strapped it on her. Anabelle looked over at Mason to find him examining the bike's wheels.

"Yo, where'd you get this?" He asked Jacob.

"Built it myself. It's a Harley sprint." He said proudly. "We should get going, Paul said your dad is coming hone lager tonight so he needs you at home." Anabelle nodded and said goodbye to Mason and hesitantly got on the back of the motorcycle and they sped off to Anabelle's house.

They arrived at Anabelle's and Jacob helped her get off the bike but surprised her when he gathered her in his arms. She squealed and clung to him, scared she would fall but Jacob would never let her fall. He walked her to the front door but froze when the door opened revealing a tall bronze-skinned man, arms cross and a questionable look on his face. Anabelle immediately jumped from Jacob's arms and ran straight into the man's awaiting ones. "Daddy!" She squealed. Jacob's face paled.

Daddy?


	9. Daddy & Doctors Appointments

**Disclaimer: Don't own anything, just Anabelle and Mason. (for right now)****Chapter 9**

They arrived at Anabelle's and Jacob helped her get off the bike but surprised her when he gathered her in his arms. She squealed and clung to him, scared she would fall but Jacob would never let her fall. He walked her to the front door but froze when the door opened revealing a tall bronze-skinned man, arms cross and a questionable look on his face. Anabelle immediately jumped from Jacob's arms and ran straight into the man's awaiting ones. "Daddy!" She squealed. Jacob's face paled.

Daddy?

"Hey princess." Anabelle father greeted completely ignoring the unidentified boy that was just carrying his daughter a moment ago. "Miss me?" He smiled at her but quickly returned his gaze to Jacob.

"I thought you weren't coming until tonight. I was planning on making dinner and surprising you." She said. She followed her father's gaze and said, "Dad, this is Jacob. He's one of Paul's friends and he was bringing me home from school."

"Nice to meet you sir. I'm Jacob Black." Jacob held out his hand to the older man nervously. Anabelle's father took his hand and shook it with a tight grip making Jacob hold it tighter, showing confidence. "And yes. I was only dropping off Anabelle. Now, if you'll excuse me, I also have dinner to make for me and my old man." He nodded to his imprint and her father then turned to leave.

"Jacob." He turned around to see Anabelle's father smiling. "Tell Billy I said hi, will ya?" Jacob nodded and left, leaving Anabelle and her father alone at the door.

"I'm really happy you're here dad. Come on, let's go inside. We have much to talk about." She said with a bit of nervousness. She followed him into the living room where Paul sat on the couch watching something on the TV. She caught his gaze and nodded to him. "Daddy? A lot has happened since you left snd we need to talk to you about it." She started nervously, shaking slightly. Now her father was curious. He noted the uncertainty on her face and nodded slowly urging them to go on. Paul grabbled her hand in reassurance.

"Well...last week, there was an incident that resulted in Belle having a panic attack and fainting. I had to take her to the hospital and we received some shocking news from Dr. Brennan." Paul said. "And uh..."

"I need surgery Daddy." Anabelle spoke up looking at her father with tears in her eyes. "They did tests while I was in the hospital and the results were not pretty. He said they needed to replace my valve. It needs to be open-heart." Tears were flowing down her face as she was speaking. She then hid her face in her hands, not wanting to look her father in the eye. Meanwhile, her father looked at his son who nodded in affirmation. "I'm so sorry Daddy." She sobbed causing her father to wrap his arms around her and hold her. "I didn't mean for this to happen. I thought there was nothing to be done."

"Shh." Her father soothed. "You would have never known that this needs to be done. Everything will be fine." He then looked towards Paul who was watching his sister with saddened eyes. "When's the appointment?"

"Tomorrow." He replied. Their father sighed, knowing that a long weekend was ahead.

"Anabelle Lahote." A nurse called. Paul, Anabelle, and their father all stood up. They were at the cardiologist office for Anabelle's appointment. Sam gave Paul a pass to come to the appointment, because he had been very worried since yesterday when their father came home and wanted to be present. They all made their way to the small room, Paul and their father took the chairs while Anabelle took the table.

The nurse took her weight and her height before checking her blood pressure and performing an EKG. (Electrocardiography) Anabelle looked over at the paper that was printing and frowned. "You see them don't you?" The nurse asked the young girl. She nodded and looked back up the ceiling, not wanting tears to fall. Once the EKG was done, the nurse led the family into an Echo room. She handed Anabelle a gown to put on and asked, "What movie? We have Finding Nemo and Sharkboy and Lava-girl." The young girl's face brightened immensely making Paul groan beside her. She pointed to the case with a young boy in a shark costume and the red headed girl with fire coming out of her head.

"This is going to be a long fifteen minutes." Paul muttered, placing his hands in his hands.

"Actually, Dr. Brennan ordered chest and stomach so it will be about 20 to 25 minutes." The nurse corrected causing their father to chuckle at his son.

Anabelle lay on the bed watching the movie while the nurse placed the warm gel on her bare chest. She tried to focus on the TV and not the slight hurtful pressure of the wand digging into her chest where her heart was. She was already so nervous so she tried to block out the unevenness of her heartbeat.So she watched the movie, the screen making her feel better. When it came to her part she whispered, "Close your eyes, shut your mouth, dream a dream and get us out."

"Dream dream dream dream dream dream." She turnedtowards the deep vibrato and smiled at Paul tapping his toe to the beat and bobbing his head to the song. Anabelle rolled her eyes, and he said he didn't like this song.

The nurse finished the Echo and left Anabelle to clean up the gel. Anabelle turned away from the gel and wiped it off, making sure nowhere was left sticky. She reached for her bra and shirt, putting them on fast as to not reveal anything to her brother or father. After she was done, she followed both of them to their original room and sat on the paper covered table once again.

Not even five minutes later, Dr. Brennan came in, shaking all the Lahotes' hands then depositing himself in his chair. "Thank you all for coming. I assume Anabelle has told you about last week." The doctor said towards her father. He nodded allowing the doctor to continue. "Well, from seeing her EKG and Echo results, there is no question as to what we need to do. She will need surgery. And I believe that the sooner that happens, the better the outcome will be." Anabelle laid her head on her brother's shoulder, his arm tracing soothing circles on her back. She knew her father and the doctor we're talking but didn't really pay attention. She was going to find out anyway later.

"Before I forget, here are a few places you can visit to find out more about the procedure. There is a website on information on your heart defect, Ebstien's Anamoly. And also a website for Tricuspid Valve Replacement." The doctor handed Anabelle's father a paper along with a copy of his contact information. "I will see y'all next week to talk more and answer any questions you may have regarding anything so be sure to write them all down." And with those parting words and shaking their hands once again, the doctor left, leaving Anabelle to not feel better, but worse.

Anabelle sat in the car fiddling with the paper she received from the doctor in her hands. She didn't really think she wanted to find out more. She knew the gist of her defect but didn't know everything. Which scared her in a way, not knowing what may be be coming. So she did the one thing she could do, she read. She picked up her Harry Potter book and flipped to her page, diving into a world where she didn't have to be in it. Paul looked down at her and saw a frown etched on her face. He leaned down to her level and whispered, "How bout a bonfire?" She looked towards him and nodded making him look at his father thought the rearview mirror and ask, "Can you drop us off at the Uley residence, Dad?" Their father nodded and took the all too familiar path to the Uleys.

"Y'all staying for dinner?" Their father asked from the car.

Anabelle turned towards him and asked, "Can we daddy?" Her father nodded and motioned for her to come the the car door.

"I just wanted to let you know that I'll be home for a while. I understand I haven't been there because if work but I took a phone call earlier and asked for some time off or if I was able to work from home. They said yes, so I'll be here for a while ok? You cool with that?" Anabelle was overly ecstatic that her father was going to be home for a while. She smiled big and embraced him from thought the open car window.

"I am beyond cool with that daddy. Thank you!" She released him and kissed his cheek.

"No problem princess. Now go, your brother's waiting."

The Lahotes' met with the rest of the pack and greeted them at the door. Emily was cooking in the kitchen with the boys. "Hi everyone!" Anabelle called walking to the table where Sam, Jared, Embry were seated. She grabbed a muffin and sat down next to Paul. "Where's Jacob?" She asked noting that there was a pack member was missing.

"He's on patrol for a little bit. There's been more of the redheaded vampire so we're making sure she stays away from the tribe."

"That's if we can catch her and stop her from going into Canada." Paul added snootily, eating his muffin with arms crossed. A inkling of fear crawled up Anabelle's spine. She'd never seen a vampire and didn't want to either. She knew about the one with the dreadlocks and how it was close to getting to a human. Luckily the boys were there to destroy it.

"So Belle, how was the appointment?" Emily asked, walking to the table with a new batch of muffins. The pack waited for Anabelle to grab two more before snatching muffins out of the baskets.

"It was informative a little. Um...I am going to need surgery and Dr. Brennan says the sooner the better. I have another appointment next week so he could answer any questions that I may have. That's about it." She sat fiddling her fingers in her lap and not making eye contact with anybody.

Emily was first to speak. "That's good that the doctors already know what to do. And the doctor's right. The sooner, the better. This way, you don't have to worry about for so long." Anabelle smiled at Emily's attempt to make her feel better. But the moment was cut short by a loud howl coming from the woods.

"Is that Jacob?" Anabelle asked. She knew the pack could dicipher each other's howl.

"Is it Seth?" asked Jared. Seth? As in Seth Clearwater? She caught her brother's eye and the nod she received answered her silent question. Everything happened so fast, Sam called the pack to go help Seth after kissing Emily good-bye. Anabelle rushed to Paul's side and hugged him while he kissed her forehead.

That left Anabelle and Emily alone so they went to the living room to watch some TV. "I didn't know Seth was on the verge of phasing. He's fifteen." Emily nodded. Seth was fifteen and she was also concerned because he was family. Seth was her second cousin and was also in Anabelle's seventh grade Spanish class. She used to spend a lot of time at the Clearwater's before Seth went to high school. She was close with Leah too, his sister. She didn't see Anabelle as a kid considering seventh grade Anabelle always helped eighth grade Seth on homework.

"Hey Belle, do you want to go through that paper you got from the doctor. It might help distract you and you can research ahead while you're at it." Anabelle nodded and retrieved the paper from her back pocket. Emily walked Anabelle to the computer that was in the office and sat down next to her.

Anabelle turned on the screen and pulled up Google, a clear browser waiting to be used. She took a deep breath and started typing...


	10. Research and New Recruits

Disclaimer: Dont Own Anything, Just My OC's.

Ch. 10

**_In general, heart valve repair is usually the first choice because it's associated with a lower risk of infection, preserves and optimizes heart function, and may reduce the potential need for long-term use of blood-thinning medications compared with heart valve replacement._****_But not all valves can be repaired, and some repaired valves may eventually require replacement. In addition, heart valve repair surgery is often harder to perform successfully than valve replacement surgery._****_For most tricuspid valve repair and tricuspid valve replacement procedures, you'll receive anesthetics so you won't feel any pain, and you'll be unconscious during the surgery._****_You'll also be connected to a heart-lung bypass machine, which keeps blood moving through your body during the procedure._****_Tricuspid valve repair is traditionally performed via open-heart surgery and opening of the chest bone (sternotomy). Doctors wire the bone back together after the procedure to prevent movement and aid in healing._****_You'll generally spend a day or more in the intensive care unit (ICU). You'll be given fluids and medications through intravenous (IV) lines. Other tubes will drain urine from your bladder and drain fluid and blood from your heart and chest. You may be given oxygen._****_After the ICU, you'll be moved to a regular hospital room for several days. The time you spend in the ICU and hospital can vary, depending on your condition and procedure._****_After tricuspid valve repair or tricuspid valve replacement surgery, the goal is that you will eventually be able to return to daily activities, such as working, driving and exercise._****_You'll still need to take certain medications and attend regular follow-up appointments with your doctor. You may have several tests to evaluate and monitor your condition._****_Many people with mild Ebstein anomaly have few complications. However, you may need to take some precautions in certain situations:_****_•Being Active. If you have mild Ebstein anomaly with a nearly normal heart size and no heart rhythm disturbances, you can probably participate in most physical activities._****_•During Pregnancy. In many cases, women with mild Ebstein anomaly can safely have children. But pregnancy does have risks._****_If you plan on becoming pregnant, be sure to talk to your doctor ahead of time. He or she can tell you if it's safe for you to become pregnant and help decide how much extra monitoring you may need throughout pregnancy and childbirth. He or she may also suggest other treatments for your condition or symptoms before you become pregnant._****_Being pregnant puts additional strain on your heart and circulatory system not only during pregnancy, but also during labor and delivery. However, vaginal delivery may be possible. Rarely, severe complications can develop that can cause death to the mother or baby._**

Anabelle sniffled and sagged in her chair. Emily rubbed her back and waited. It was a lot to take in and Emily knew Anabelle needed time to process. "Wow...that's a lot. I didn't know there was a lot I didn't know." She mumbled, wiping tears from her eyes.

Emily nodded and placed a price of paper on front of her and handed her a pen. "You could write down your questions here. I'm gonna go get you some dinner, ok?" Anabelle nodded, having already started writing. Her head was spinning and it took all her power to stop shaking. She didn't know how long she had been writing but Emily came in to give her her dinner.

Once she was too exhausted to continue writing, she folded her questions and put them in her pocket. She then grabbed her dirty dishes and walked to the kitchen. She disposed of her dishes and walked to the living room where the pack and Emily were watching a movie. They were all wearing sad expressions and no one was talking. She walked over to Paul on the couch and snuggled next to him. "How's Seth? Everything ok?" She asked.

"He's a little overwhelmed but for a different reason." He looked into her confused eyes and whispered, "Harry died, Belle."

"Leah phased first making Harry have a heart attack from the shock. That, in turn, made Seth phase." Anabelle couldn't believe what she was hearing. Harry was gone. She knew Harry really well from going to the Clearwater's almost everyday last year. And then the thing Leah. She felt bad that Leah had to join the pack what with the Sam and Emily thing. She couldn't stop the tears from coming making Paul pull her to his chest and everyone look at her with saddened expressions

"Can today get any worse?" She mumbled. Just then, the front door opened and Jacob stepped through the threshold soaking wet, his shorts sticking to him. Anabelle quickly made her way to the hall closet while Emily went to her bedroom for some shorts for Jacob. Anabelle grabbed two towels from the closet and walked towards Jacob. Their eyes met and Jacob couldn't help but smile at his imprint. So much had happened in the last few hours and he needed assurance of her safety. He took the towels from her and the shorts from Emily before going into the bathroom.

Anabelle stood there, watching Jacob walk away. She couldn't help but watch his figure as he walked. They had been spending a lot of time together this past week and she would say that the were friends. But she wasn't looking at him like a friend would. She watched as his back muscles moved at he walked, his composure never wavering. She was entranced by how his muscles rippled and the water that brightened his skin just a fraction.

She realized what she was doing and shook her head, ridding the inappropriate thoughts from her head. She walked back to the living room, a blush across her cheeks she couldn't hide from her brother, who was watching her with interest. "Whats with the face?" Asked Paul. "You look like you've seen God."

Anabelle rolled her eyes and sunk deeper into the couch. Jacob came back I'm the next few minutes and had a stern look on his face. He sat down on the couch and instinctively put his arm around Anabelle's shoulders. She leaned into him, ignoring her brother's stare.

"We might have a problem." Jacob stated, placing his hand on Anabelle's shoulders in a sign of protectiveness. "Earlier, I saved Bella from drowning after she jumped off a cliff. When I took her home there was a leech already at the house." There was a chorus of growls, Sam holding onto Emily tighter and Paul grabbing hold of his sister's hand. "It turned out to be one of the Cullen's who could see the future or some shit like that. She was relaying a message to Bella that her leech was going to kill himself so she left."

Paul growled. "Are they coming back?" Anabelle flinched out of habit making Jacob pull her closer to his chest.

"I don't know but if Bella went to go save her leech they'll probably be coming back." Jacob said with a scowl on his face.

"Well we should keep an eye out for them." Sam said dismissing the discussion.

Anabelle was reading a book silently when she felt the wind from the fan being blocked. Jacob was looking over her shoulder making her smile and shake her head. "Whatcha reading?" he asked taking a seat beside her on the couch.

"Harry Potter. It's the only book that I find interesting to read again and again." They both sat there,not saying a word. It was a comfortable silence, neither one trying to disrupt it.

After a few moments, Jacob asked, "How did your appointment go today? I meant to ask you earlier."

Anabelle placed her book on the coffee table and sighed. "It was better than I expected. He gave me a list of websites I could go to and he advised me on writing down questions I had about anything. He's going to answer them next week and hopefully set a date for it soon." She had her head down the whole time, not making eye contact with Jacob at all. This made Jacob rub her shoulder in comfort.

"Well sooner rather than later right. It'll be ok. You just gotta be positive about everything even when you have doubts." Anabelle turned her head to where their faces were inches apart. She slowly leaned up and kissed his cheek, making Jacob's skin heat up and his heart skip a beat.

"Thanks J. I needed that." She whispered.

It took a second for Jacob to reply. "No problem. Bellie button." He barked out a laugh causing Anabelle to push him off the couch but ultimately laugh along with him. Jacob continued to sit next to her, just being in her presence calms him. Her sweet flower scent wafting in his face. Roses. They were his favorite flower, even if it was only because of her.

Anabelle looked towards Jacob and asked, "Do you want me to read to you? I don't mind." Jacob nodded his ascent and listened to Anabelle's voice as she read. Her calming voice lulling him to sleep on her shoulder.

Emily found Anabelle and Jacob in the same position an hour later when she went to go check on them. Anabelle was still silently reading but Jacob was sleeping with his head on her shoulder. She walked towards them, alerting Anabelle and making her look up. "How's it going in here?"

Anabelle closed her book and shrugged her arms a little, making sure not to disturb Jacob. "He asked me to read to him. So I did. But once I heard the snores, I knew I was just reading to my self." She lightly chuckled.

"So I wanted to ask you something." Emily said walking over to a chair before sitting down. Anabelle nodded, letting Emily continue. "How do you feel about Jacob?" The question took her off guard. How did she feel about Jacob? She looked towards the boy in question and smiled at the craziness of his hair and his face looking so much younger than he looked when he was awake.

"We're friends I guess. He takes me to and from school we talk most of the time, help each other with homework. I don't know, do friend things." Emily smiled at how Anabelle looked at Jacob all the while she was answering the question. "Why? Did he say something?" She asked mortified that Jacob thought her weird for something she wasn't aware of doing.

"No no, I just noticed how you were looking at him earlier. Friends don't look at each other like that, you know?" Emily teased, causing Anabelle to blush.

"It no secret that all the guys are attractive Em. But if your asking if I find Jake the most attractive? Then the answer is yes." Both girls giggled silently, not noticing the small smile that Jacob had on his face. "But I don't think that it'll be any more than us being friends." Anabelle's demeanor changed to where there was no longer a smile on her face. When she saw the confused expression on Emily's face she continued. "There's always the chance of him imprinting and I don't want to get hurt. I don't want to be like Leah and get my heart broken. And I'm young. I've probably never even met the one I am to spend the rest of my life with."

Emily nodded in understanding. She noticed the frown etched on Jacob's face. Her eyes widened but she quickly covered it up with a smile that Anabelle didn't seem to notice. "Well it's getting late so I am going to tuck in for the night." Anabelle nodded and gently got up from the couch making sure Jacob didn't wake up and was comfortable.

"I'm gonna go look for Paul. He probably wants to get home." Emily watched as Anabelle left the room and looked at Jacob who was still 'sleeping.'

"Get up Jacob." Jacob opened his eyes and met Emily's. "You heard the whole thing didn't you?" He nodded and didn't know whether to smile or frown.

"She likes me but is scared that I'll imprint. Even though I already imprinted on her." He slowly said, thinking it over in his head. He then sighed, placing his head in his hands. "But I can't tell her yet."

"Why not?"

"Paul made me promise not to tell her until after her procedure and she's only known me for a week. Plus she's young and 14, she's already got a lot on her plate. I just don't want to overwhelm her. I love her." Emily listened to his words and smiled.

"Well...how bout you help her a little bit to tell you first that she likes you. Then you'd tell her your true feelings along with the imprint. That doesn't go against Paul's wishes." Jacob nodded and got off the couch.

"Yeah. Yeah I think I'll do that." He then grinned and rubbed his hands together rapidly. "I know just what to do." And with that he left.


	11. Breakfast and Billy

A/N So sorry that I haven't uploaded lately. A lot has happened, a big thing being my BIRTHDAY! So...yeah... anyway here is chapter 11. This one is longer than my regular chapters becaue is basically just fluff AKA filler. So enjoy...NEXT CHAPTER IS BIG!

Disclaimer: Nothing belongs to me. Only Anabelle and Mason...so far...

Chapter 11

It was Sunday morning and Anabelle was in the living room reading a book. She had nothing to do and wanted time to herself. She had already done her homework for the week and didn't have that many friends to hang out with. Paul was sleeping because he had patrol the night before and she didn't know where her father was. She was turning the page when she heard the doorbell ring, the sound echoing in the halls of the house. She slipped on her slippers and scurried to the door, opening it to reveal Jacob in his signature black t-shirt and jeans. "J! What a surprise!" Anabelle immediately self-conscious of her giant t-shirt and baggy sweatpants. H folded her arms over her chest, not wanting Jacob to get an eye full of something he didn't need. "What brings you here?" She asked leading him into the house.

"I just wanted to see if you wanted to go out for breakfast. A lot happened yesterday and I wanted to check in on you. Paul told me you were close with Harry." Anabelle nodded wiped away the stray year she had running down her cheek.

"Breakfast would be great, let me just go tell my dad."

"Does that mean you're paying young man? Great! I'm hungry." They both turned around to find Anabelle's father standing on the foot of the stairs with his arms crossed.

"Um well, I can try sir. But uh I don't have that much money right now. Ya see, I just started recently working independently from my garage. Uh...I fix up cars for people." By the time Jacob stopped talking his hands were stuffed in his pockets and he was stiff as a board.

The older man nodded and smiled at how uncomfortable he made the young boy in front of him. He startled both Anabelle and Jacob when he started laughing. "I'm only messing with you son. You don't have to pay for breakfast. It's my treat. Paul would be hungry too so I wouldn't want you to not have a use for your wallet."

"Thank you sir." Replied Jacob, his body becoming more comfortable.

"And enough of this sir nonsense. Just call me Gene." Jacob nodded. "How bout you go change and wake up your brother princess." Gene said towards Anabelle. She silently nodded and walked up the stairs, giving a shy smile to Jacob as she went.

She climbed the stairs and turned the corner to Paul's room. When she opened the door, she found Paul sprawled out on his, arms and legs laying limply on the side of the matress. "Paulie get up! We're gonna go out to breakfast." Paul groaned and waved her off but still opened his eyes. Once she determined that he was actually going to be out of bed, she walked across the hall to her room.

She dressed in a pair of skinny jeans with a flowing stripped shirt along with brown short boots. After getting dressed, she brushed her hair, pulling it into a high ponytail and sprayed perfume before going downstairs to find Jacob, her father and Paul sitting in the living room, watching a basketball game. The boys heard her before seeing her and stood up. "Ha!" Exclaimed Paul. "You owe me five bucks! Did you really think I don't know how long my little sister takes to get ready?" Jacob scowled and dug into his back pocket, retrieved his wallet and gave Paul a five dollar bill.

He looked towards Anabelle with an exaggerated angry face causing her to say, "What did I do?"

"Could you maybe have gotten dressed in less than time minutes!?" He teased.

Anabelle scoffed and walked up to him, hands on hips and looking up at him. "I'll have you know mister, that it does not take two seconds to get my hair to look like this." She then grabbed her purse and stomped towards the door. "Now come on, I'm hungry."

They all managed to fit in Gene's truck and made their way into town. Gene was driving with Anabelle in the front seat, much to Paul's dismay. "Princess, what do you want for breakfast?"

"Woah woah woah! Why does she get to pick!?" Paul exclaimed from the front seat. Jacob snickered and shook his head. He liked this Paul better than hot headed asshole. "I want some hardy food!"

"Now Paulie, you already know why I always get to pick but unless you forgot, I will explain." Paul groaned and mouthed every word his sister said. "Because of my growing up into an independent young women, I mustbe allowed to do things that men normally do. For example, choose what to eat for breakfast. Because without that first step, I will never amount to anything more than a housewife." Jacob laughed along with Gene making Paul growl playfully at Anabelle.

"So what's for breakfast?" Asked Jacob.

Anabelle smiled at him and said one word. "Tacos."

"Mesa para cuatro por favor." Anabelle said. The hostess nodded and led the four to a booth. Jacob and Anabelle to one side, the other Paul and Gene.

Another women, who was probably in her early twenties walked over with a ticket book and pen in hand. "¿Algo de beber?" The waitress asked.

"Coca-Cola mexicana por favor." Anabelle said. "Y dos tés dulces." She then turned to Jacob and asked, "What do you want to drink?"

"Uh... I'll have a water." He said looking at Anabelle with questioning eyes. Anabelle nodded and turned towards the waitress. "Agua por favor." The waitress nodded and turned back to get the drinks.

"So...Jacob? How's your father?" Asked Gene.

"He's good. Still rolling around and all that jazz. Not that much going on. Learning to cook too. Claimed he needs to do something while I'm out. So far, he's made spaghetti and pancakes without burning them so it's a start."

"And what about you princess? How's school?" Anabelle looked up from the table and shrugged her shoulders.

"It's good I guess. I did find out that if my grades are the best of the best this year, I could be in an early graduate program." Her father nodded but stopped when the waitress came back with their drinks. They all ordered after that, the waitress leaving them to continue their conversation.

"You were saying princess." Gene urged.

"Um but that means that if I do get in, I'll have to got to Forks High." All three men had different reactions. Gene frowned a bit, Paul almost spit out his drink and Jacob tensed and softly growled. Anabelle took Jake's hand from under the table, scared he would get angry and phase.

"So you would be going to Forks everyday for school? For four years?" Paul asked.

"Well no, not entirely." Anabelle replied. "I'm able to skip freshman year if I want. I'd have to do online classes in the summer but I'm fine with that. I'd start as a sophomore then graduate when I'm 17, a year after Jacob. So it would only be three years." Her father and brother both nodded, taking in the newfound information.

"Well until then, do your work and don't let anything interfere with it. Understand?" Anabelle nodded and saluted her father making the wolves laugh. Their food arrived minutes later and they ate in silence.

"I think you're dad likes me." Said Jacob. They were all waiting for Gene to come back from the bathroom so they could head home. Anabelle nodded and chuckled.

"Yeah I think he does. If you keep it up, you might get him to say yes to taking Paul to prom." She teased. She looked up at Jacob and saw the seriousness of his face.

"What if I wanted to take another Lahote? Someone that's not Paul." Anabelle was taken aback by his bold statement. She felt flushed and her heart beat faster in her chest. She then smirked and scoffed.

"Silly Jacob, my dad's too old to go to prom." She then stood up from her chair and made her way out the door to join her father and brother, taking a deep breath and stabilizing her erratic heart rate.

Anabelle was walking towards her front door when a warm hand caught hers. She turned around to find Jacob.

"Do you maybe want to hang out at my place for a bit?" He asked still holding her hand sending shivers up her arm. She found herself nodding , her eyes never leaving his face. He smiled at hee, happy to get to spend more time with his reason for living.

"Let me just go tell my dad." She let go of his hand and walked through the threshold of her house. "Dad." She called. Gene appeared from the kitchen, holding a beer in one hand and the TV rote on the other. "Is it ok if I go hang out with Jacob for a bit?"

"Just you two?" Her father asked.

"Um... I'm pretty sure his father is going to be there so we won't be alone." Gene felt reassured by this information and nodded to his daughter.

"Ok but call me when you're coming home. And it better be at a decent hour ok?" Anabelle nodded and walked over to her father, giving him a kiss on the cheek before leaving the house and into the sight of Jacob.

He instinctively grabbed her hand and led her off her yard. "So...what are we doing today?" She asked walking to the dirt path that acted as the sidewalk.

"Well I thought maybe we could go to my house and hang out in my garage. Maybe show you want I can do since you wanted to see the bikes I told you about." Anabelle nodded, pleased with what they were going to do. "And maybe we could go to the beach. Maybe the pack will be there or if not we could uh...just go. By ourselves."

Jacob rushed the end a bit and looked over at his imprint. She was slightly smiling and biting her lip. "That'll be fine with me." She teased. "But we are going to get food within our activities right?"

Jacob chuckled and shook his head before mumbling, "Women and their food." He reaches across and tickled Anabelle's stomach, making her giggle and try to snatch his hands away. "Yes, we will get food later but first, we got to get to my house." And with that he encased her in his arms, scooping her info his back. She squealed and clung into his neck waiting to fall but never did. She rested her head on Jacob's, closing her eyes and drifting off to sleep.

Billy Black looked towards the front door when he heard his son's footsteps ascending the porch steps. He rolled himself from the kitchen into the living room to find his son placing a young sleeping girl on the couch. Her skin was lighter and brighter that the rest of the people on the reservation so he concluded that the young girl was Anabelle Lahote.

His son's imprint.

"Wow son. Never thought you'd imprint on Paul's younger sister. You're lucky son. " Jacob nodded and covered Anabelle with a blanket. Billy watched as his son handled the girl carefully, making sure she was comfortable before leaving her alone and sitting in a nearby chair.

"I am huh? Oh dad. She is the best thing in my life right now. Whenever I'm around her, I can't think of anything else. The pack, leeches, Bella. Nothing. It's like she blocks out all the negative and consumes my head with her scent." Billy smiled at his son's dazed face and chuckled. It reminded him of Sarah and himself when they were young.

"So y'all went to breakfast?"

"Yeah. We ended up going with her dad and Paul. Then afterwards, I asked to hangout. But she fell asleep in my arms before we got here."

Billy nodded, wheelig himself further into the living room. "I bet she's tired from everything that has been going on lately. Oh, son. Before I forget, Harry's funeral I'd tommorow. Sam said everyone in a free of duties so they can make it." Jacob nodded never taking his eyes off his imprint. He was worried about her mental state and how she was holding up. He didn't think she would be stable enough to go tommorow but only time would tell.

Anabelle's eyes fluttered, opening them to see Jacob watching her. She immediately blushed under his gaze and hid her face in the cushions. "Good afternoon sunshine." He said huskily. "Glad you could join me this evening." He chuckled while Anabelle readjusted herself on the couch, getting herself into a sitting position.

She rubbed her face, helping her wake up. "How long was I out?"

"A couple hours. I made you lunch if you want it. And we could still probably go to the beach if you wanted to as well." Anabelle nodded, stretching out her stiff limbs. The strap to her shirt fell to her shoulder, exposing the skin and her lace bra strap. Jacob's eyes honed on her exposed skin. A soft caramel mocha color, she was absolutely beautiful.

Jacob cleared his throat, getting up from the couch and looking anywhere but his imprint's eyes. "Well...I'll uh...wait for you in the kitchen then."

After stopping by the bathroom, Anabelle walked to the kitchen to find Jacob and an older man in a wheelchair. There was a place for her at the table. Along with two sandwiches. "Hello."

"Hello Anabelle. Do you want to join us?" The young girl nodded and sat down. 'I don't think we've been properly introduced. I'm Billy, Jacob's dad." Anabelle giggled.

"Nice to meet you Billy. I'm Anabelle. You might have seen me at a couple of the bonfires. I'm always sitting next to the hotheaded werewolf." They both laughed while Jacob groaned.

The three stayed there, eating they're lunch until Jacob decided it was time to get to the beach. They packed up a few blankets and made they're way to the beach. It was cloudy but wasn't rainy in the slightest. "I think my dad likes you." Jacob said walking in step with his imprint. "Maybe a little too much." They both chuckled.

They found a spot to sit, just outside the brush if trees leading into the rocky sand of the beach. Listening to the waves crashing, they sat, silently. They could both smell the saltiness of the air along with the freshness of the forest behind them. Anabelle relishes in the peacefulness of the moment, thinking nothing could break it.

"Anabelle, I know you will probably heat this sometime later but, I figured you'd want to know sooner rather than later. Harry's funeral is tomorrow."

The moment broke.


	12. The Funeral

A/N Hey guys! I'm back. so sorry for not uploading, trying to work out a few things these past few weeks but anyway...here is the new chapter hope y'all like it. Be sure to review!

Chapter 12

Anabelle woke up to grey clouds surrounding her windows. She could see raindrops on her windows from the morning shower. She was not happy. She couldn't be. She would have to attend her first funeral today and she felt utterly heartbroken. Harry was, in a way, and uncle. She had spent so much time at the Clearwater's that she felt at home there. Harry was always fond of her, along with his wife, Sue. Leah liked her enough to let her tag along on some shopping trips with Emily before the whole Sam thing.

Seth was a big sweetheart when they first met. They were in the same Spanish class and were assigned each other's partners when doing a Latin America country project. So everyday after school, Anabelle would go to the Clearwater's and spend the evening with them until Paul picked her up.

She slowly got up from her place in the bed and made her way to her bathroom, grabbing her robe on the way. She took a hot shower, cleansing her skin of the dirt and grime of the day before. Making sure not to slip, she got out of the shower, dried herself off, and put her robe on. She then brushed her teeth and brushed her hair while blow-drying it.

Once out of the bathroom, Anabelle dressed in a black lace dress along with black leggings and black sandals. She then pinned her hair up, out if her face along with throwing a black shawl over her shoulders. Once she seemed herself presentable, she descended the stairs, walking into the living room to find her father and brother in matching black suits. They both had expression less expressions.

Anabelle grabbed her purse from the hook and took out her two inhalers. She did two puffs each, then placed them back in her purse. She then silently followed after her father and Paul outside and into the car. No one had said one word on the drive to the funeral home. The only sound was that of the radio.

Anabelle snuggled close to her brother in the backseat. His warmth surrounding her and brightening her from the gloom of the weather. Paul rubbed her head, smoothing out her hair that fluffed up a little.

They arrived at the funeral home a while later, the building reminding Anabelle that she had to say goodbye to on of her father figure. Her father cut the engine. No one seemed to want to move but Anabelle was getting antsy. She made the first move, opening the door and stepping out into the parking lot. Paul soon followed, then her father.

Anabelle watched Paul mess with his boutonniere, making sure it was on correctly. She reached for him and pinned it into his jacket properly making sure it was straight and not poking him. He gave a grateful smile, grabbing her hand and leading her into the funeral home.

They walked in to see pictures of Harry in the entryway. Him through the years with his family, younger pi tires of him as a child. Even one baby pictures. Anabelle had to bite back tears and squeeze Paul's hand when she came across one of her, Seth and Harry at school. He wanted to see for himself if his son could actually speak another language so her bet five dollars that Seth would choke and chicken out. But Seth persisted and made it through the while presentation, even if he did break a sweat.

The Lahotes' moved towards the walkway where people were seated in the pews on either side. Anabelle recognised a lot of them. Sam and Emily, Jared and Kim, along with Embry, Jacob and Billy. She looked straight ahead, seeing a black coffin at the edge of the wall. Sue, Seth, and Leah all standing, greeting people with tears in their eyes. All three Lahotes' made their way to greet the grieving family. Seth was the first one to spot the three. He walked over to Anabelle, tears in both of their eyes.

They both wrapped their arms around each other, tears running down their faces. They clung to each other, trying to grasp something that wasn't there. Anabelle could feel Seth's overheated body envelope her, calming her nerves a little, not entirely though.

She moved away from Seth's shoulder gazing at his tearstained face. "Hey it gonna be ok. Alright? Everything's gonna be fine." Seth nodded numbly at her and squeezed her one more time before releasing her.

"Thanks Belle. I've just been overwhelmed with everything." He looked down at his shoes and messing with the buttons of his suit.

She nodded in understanding. "It's ok. You should be, it's a lot to take in. Just know that if you need someone to talk to, I'm here." She waited till he nodded before walking over to Sue.

Before she could say anything, Sue hugged her softly, Anabelle reciprocating her actions. There were no words that needed to be spoken. The two females were both comfortable not talking at all, but being in each other's presence. Sue thought Anabelle was a nice girl who had plenty of manners to go around. She was private but could be up to sharing personal things with the older woman. She also loves how the young girl took a lot of responsibility for her age. Cooking dinner, all of her school work, keeping the house clean and finding time to help her son with anything.

After releasing the hug, Anabelle walked over to Leah who was standing alone in a corner. There were no tears in her eyes. Just a deeply etched frown. She approached her cautiously, not wanting to startle her. "Leah?" Anabelle asked hesitantly.

Leah turned around to look at her and walked up to her with no expression. A tremor of fear crawled up Anabelle's spine but she stood her ground.

She was surprised when she felt warm arms wrap around her in a heated embrace. She automatically wrapped her arms around Leah's waist and placed her head in her shoulder. The two girls both cried in each other's shoulders, not wanting anyone to see them. They clung to each other, both for a different reason.

They broke the hug a few moments later looking at each other in silent empathy towards each other. Leah knew about Anabelle's situation, but knew she had to wait to talk to her about it. The air was tense and they both noticed. They looked towards the crowd, noticing the tense looks that both Paul and Jacob had on their faces.

Leah looked at Anabelle in question. "Do they thing I would hurt you?"

"They just know what it's like to be a new wolf and they're cautious about it. But it's fine..." She rubbed Leah arms. "Because nothing will happen ok?" She waited for Leah's nod before leading her towards the rest of their family.

They all say down in their respected pews, waiting for the service to begin. Sue stood at the stand, making everyone quiet down. "I would first like to thank everyone for attending, and I am deeply grateful for everyone who has helped with Harry's service. Right now, we are allowing anyone who wants to speak about Harry is welcome to if they wish to."

Seth was the first one to stand up, holding a few pieces of paper in his hand, slightly shaking. Anabelle noticed this and stood up, walking towards Seth. He gently smiled at her, handing her one of the papers. He stood at the stand with Anabelle to his right, clutching her hand. Jacob slightly scowled, containing a growl when he saw his imprint's eyes reach his. She smiles sadly causing him to as well.

"Um...hello everyone. Um... I'd like to share a few good memories I have of my dad." Tears started to pool in Seth's eyes, reliving what he wrote a day before. Anabelle rubs his knuckles with his fingers, soothing him. "One of my favorite memories was the first time I heard dad burp." He said making the audience laugh a little.

"Ok, I bet you can't burp on command." 13 year old Seth said to 12 year old Anabelle while they were sitting on the couch drinking Coke. The TV was on and there was homework splayed out on the coffee table.

"Alright bet!" Anabelle exclaimed positioning herself in front of Seth. She took one last sup of her Coke before saying, "Whenever you're ready."

"Ok. NOW!" Just when Anabelle was about to open her mouth, a loud belching burp erupted from the doorframe, frightening both children, making them jump from their spots on the couch. They looked up to find Harry standing at the door way and patting his chest, smiling from ear to ear.

"That good enough son?" He asked walking over to the two kids.

"That was better than good Dad. That. Was. Awesome!" Seth exclaimed. That's how the three of them spent their time that afternoon. Drinking sodas and burping.

Seth was sniffingwhen he was done telling the story. He had one more to tell but couldn't go on. Anabelle gently too the paper from his hand, and wiping her years with her other. She looked at the piece of paper, Seth's scrawl on it in messy handwriting. She read the words, tears streaming down her face, having already known what she had to say.

She took a deep breath, looking up see Jacob staring intently at her, nodding and urging her on. She nodded back at him and said, "My fondest and most cherished memory of me and Harry was when he took me and Seth to fish for the first time."

"Come on Miss Anabelle! The water'sfine." Harry reassured the thirteen years old who was physically shaking on the dock, looking at the boat as if it were to blow up right in front of her.

"What if I fall? What kind of fish are down there? Do they bite? How deep is it?" She rambled, squealing at the end when Seth grabbed her and deposited her one of the boat seats. She stabilized herself on the bars, making sure she didn't rock the boat.

Harry handed both kids a fishing rod with a piece of bait on the hook. "Now. What you want to do it throw the rod and swing it into the lake as hard and as far as you can. Got it?" Both children nodded and did just that, with Seth's going fifteen feet while Anabelle's went ten.

"Now what?" She asked watching the rather calm water slightly swaying from the wind.

"Now. We wait." Harry said throwing his own line and taking a beer from the cooler. Seth reached for one but quickly retreated from his father's slap to his hand. He ended up taking two Caprisuns for Anabelle and himself.

It wasn't long before Anabelle felt a tug on her line. She exclaimed happily, notifying Harry and Seth. Harry helped tug on her line and reel in the fish."It's a big one Miss Anabelle! You've caught a great one!" With the help from Harry, they were able to capture the 15 lb Bull Trout. "Wow, you caught a nice one there. This is enough for a few days." They placed it in the cooler and continued fishing.

"We continued fishing all throughout the early afternoon, bringing in the most Harry had said he seen. But sadly that was the only time I went with him. And I will cherish that memory for the rest of my life." Anabelle sniffled before saying, "Thank you." And walking off the stand with Seth.


	13. The Burial

**A/N Here's another chapter for y'all. Hope you like it. It's not as long as the other so... anyways here it is.**

**Chapter 13**

The wolf pack, including Seth, quietly stood up after the viewing was over. Anabelle made sure Paul's boutonniere was on correctly before watching him walk away to carry Harry's casket. She watched Paul walk over to the casket, helping with lifting it up with all the boys. They carried the casket outside, everyone following them in a slow, timely manner. Anabelle helped Billy wheel across the lawn and towards the graveyard. He gave her a grateful smile, trying to reassure her about everything.

Once they arrived at the burial site, the pack slowly placed the coffin on the bands that lower into the ground and walked over to their family's. Jacob walked over to Anabelle, grabbing her hand and intertwining his fingers with hers. She immediately wrapped herself around his arm, hiding her tears from everyone. Jacob rubbed her back, kissing her scalp, relishing in her rose scent. "Hank ou fur bing wit e." Her voice muffled by his sleeve

"What was that?" He asked tilting her head up towards him. There were tears staining her face, making Jacob frown. He wiped them off, caressing her cheek making Anabelle blush ever so slightly but still visible

"I wanted to thank you for being here for me. I know that there's been a lot going on for you. Mainly about Bella…" He was about to stop her but she continued, "And I only know that because I was eavesdropping and I'm sorry But anyways nonetheless, thank you. I appreciate it." She smiled as sweetly as she could making Jacob melt inside. How could he ever be mad at her?

They looked towards Harry's casket when their attention was called. Jacob pulled her towards the line of people wanting to put sand on the casket. There were already giant bouquets of flowers adorning it.

When it was their turn, Jacob and Anabelle grabbed a handful of sand and placed it on the casket. "Goodbye Harry." She whispered, tears running down her face as she took Jacob's hand and walked towards the crowd of people that were gathered. They all watched as his casket was lowered into the ground. People were now slowly leaving, all feeling the pain from the loss of Harry

Jacob led Anabelle nodded away from everyone, holding her against him. "Jake." A voice called making the pair come apart and stop walking. A pale man in a black suit stood a few feet from them. He was as tall as Jake and had a bushy mustache on his top lip. Anabelle didn't recognize him from anywhere but Jacob did. He straightened himself and nodded at the man

"Charlie. How are you?" Jacob asked, shaking the older man's hand.

"I'm doing good son. How are you?

"Been better." He brought Anabelle closer to his chest and hugged her from the side making Charlie notice the young girl. "Have you heard from Bells?" Anabelle cringed making Charlie look up at Jacob

"Sadly no. But she's 18...I guess one step at a time, right?" Charlie chuckled. "Who's this?" He motioned towards Anabelle. He did remember his daughter mentioning that Jacob was probably dating but didn't think it was true. He knew the young man was smitten with his daughter ever since they reconnected last year.

"I'm Anabelle Lahote, sir. I'm close with Seth and Leah." She held out her hand for Charlie to shake. "You might know of my father, Gene Lahote. He's a politician for the reservation."

"Yes. Yes, I do know Gene. I met him a few weeks back at the station. He was wanting to stretch our jurisdiction out towards the reservation." Anabelle nodded.

"Sounds like dad, all right." She spotted Seth across the lawn and looked back at the two males. "Well, it was nice to meet you, sir." She looked towards Jacob. "I'll be right back. I'm gonna go check on Seth." She reassuringly smiled when he pouted. He watched her walk away, the slump of her shoulders making her want to sweep her up and reassure her that everything will be ok.

Instead, Jacob turned his attention back to Charlie. "So...Bells told me before she left...that you're uh…dating? Is that right?" Jacob was taken aback by the question. He didn't know what to say. He wasn't dating anyone, but he also didn't want Charlie to get the idea that he still likes Bella.

"I'm not dating anyone right now, but I do have my eyes on someone." He looked back towards where Anabelle was, she was talking with Seth and an older girl. The wind was blowing in her face slightly but he could still see her chocolate brown eyes. She caught his eye and smiled at him, making him smile back. He wanted to be with her so he said, "Anyways, I know Dad really wants to talk to you. I'll see ya later Charlie." And with that, he walked away towards his imprint.

Anabelle left Jacob and Charlie, and walked towards Seth. An older girl was talking to him. She had long black hair with brown highlights. She was also in a black dress with thick sleeves. She was as tall as Leah and was wiping her eyes with a tissue. "Hi." Anabelle said meekly.

Seth and the girl looked at her, Seth smiling and the girl with a confused expression."Belle." Seth greeted her. "This is my cousin, Reyna. Reyna this is my friend, Anabelle." The girls shook hands, greeting each other with 'hellos.' "Her family is thinking of moving back here." Seth said

"Yeah." Reyna agreed. "Because of uncle Harry's death, we want to be closer to our family instead of being all the way in Arizona. We're thinking of moving back here." Anabelle nodded, smiling slightly.

"That's great. Albeit, the circumstances aren't that great but i'm happy that Seth has more family close by." The girls shared a smile. "So are you going to be starting school soon?" She asked the older girl.

"Yeah. It's my senior year. I'm thinking of getting a job. Ya know, paying my dues for my family. I haven't started looking though." Anabelle thought for a moment then had an idea.

"I have an interview next week at a bookshop in forks. But I might now be able to make it. There is just a lot going on right now. But you could take my spot. I can contact them if you want." Reyna's face brightened for the first time since arriving. She eagerly nodded at Anabelle.

"Oh my gosh! Really? Thank you so much! I could never repay you enough." She embraced the younger girl, happy that a good thing happened this week.

"It is no problem at all." Anabelle beamed. She suddenly felt a warm arm wrap around her waist pulling her in a heated embrace. She leaned into the heat and looked up so see Jacob smiling brightly at her. She smiled back, the familiar feeling of warmth filling her body.

Reyna immediately took notice of Jacob and eyed him up. She'd seen the boys here and she was impressed. Anabelle caught her eye. She didn't know why but she felt anger bubble up through her like fire building up in her body. Just like the waitress at the restaurant, she was disgusted by the way other girls looked at Jacob.

"Well... we will see you later." Anabelle said, smiling at both Clearwater's then pulling Jacob away from the older girl.

"Why such a hurry? Jacob asked, wondering whether the girl said something to upset his imprint.

"Just thought I could save you from her checking you out." She shrugged making it seem like it didn't bother her. "It's not very appropriate to check someone out very blatantly." Jacob grinned impishly and squeezed her hand

"Is it that? Or is it because that's your job?" Anabelle stammered, not knowing what to say. Instead she gapes at him, a dark blush flooding her cheeks. She rolled her eyes and pulled him towards her father and Paul.

"You wish. Come on lover boy, I'm hungry."


	14. The Vamps are Back

**A/N I don't one anything, except Anabelle Mason and now Reyna. She is going to be important.**

Chapter 14

"Hey, Belle. Wait up!" Anabelle stopped and waited for Mason to catch up with her. She was at the entrance to the school and walking towards the parking lot. She turned to find Mason looking at her with a sad smile.

"Sorry. I just wanted to ask how you were. You weren't at school yesterday because of Harry Clearwater's funeral and when I called your house, no one answered." Anabelle smiled softly.

"I'm sorry Mase. I'm fine. I just wasn't at home last night, I was at Jacob's." Mason's eyebrow lifted and he smirked. "Not like that, Mase." She stuck her tongue out in disgust. "We're just friends, plus it would be weird. He's a friend of my brothers. It's not... I'm not." She was stuttering her words and blushing quite dark. Mason laughed and put an arm around her.

"Just admit it, Belle. You like him. More than you do me." She gaped at him, turning a shade darker.

"How did you?" She asked, not even trying to deny it. He rolled his eyes and gave her a nudge.

"Oh please! I've known since we were in the fifth grade when you tried to kiss me."

She hit him playfully and shoved him off her. "I did not try to kiss you. I was aiming for your cheek when you swerved on me and made me kiss your nose!" They both laughed but stopped abruptly when a deep rev of a motorcycle made its way to their ears. They both looked to see Jacob pulling up into the school parking lot. Everyone's eyes landed on him. Boys were checking out the bike while girls checked out Jacob.

"It looks like your little boyfriend is here," Mason said wiggling his eyebrows smirking. Anabelle rolled her eyes but blushed nonetheless. Jacob hopped off the bike in one swift movement and shook out his hair. He was wearing his usual black T-shirt and faded blue jeans.

Anabelle watched and he pulled up the kickstand and walked towards her. It was like watching him in slow motion, his muscles moving with every step he took. She was taken out of her trance when a hand came into view. Mason was waving his hand erratically in front of her face. "You got it bad, Belle." He chuckled.

She rolled her eyes and walked towards Jacob. "Hey." She greeted, wrapping her arms around his torso in a hug. He did the same. Jacob greeted Mason and led Anabelle to the bike. She noticed there was an agitated look on his face, that he was clearly trying to hide. "Hey, what's wrong?" Jacob sighed, looking at her sadly before taking a deep breath.

"The leeches cane back last night. I have to go meet with one to make sure they know what they're dealing with if they don't abide by the treaty." He was practically shaking when he was done causing Anabelle to grab his hand. He calmed down with her touch but his face still held tension.

"Do you want me to go with you?" Anabelle asked. Jacob looked at her sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck.

"I kinda already thought you would be coming with me. But if you don't, I could drop you off at Emily's." Anabelle waved him off, strapping on her helmet.

"No. Then you'll have to make two trips and plus I've never met a vampire." Jacob tensed slightly. He didn't want Anabelle anywhere near vampires with the intention of meeting them. He looked at her face, the slight pout of her mouth and her big brown eyes. He couldn't refuse her.

"Ok. But you have to stay with me the whole time. Got it?" She saluted him and nodded.

"By the way, who is it?"

"Bella's leech, Edward." She nodded. "And Bella." Anabelle tensed.

Bella?

Jacob cut the engine of the bike a little off the main road and kicked the stand into place. He hopped off and helped Anabelle off as well. She took off her helmet, shaking her hair out and combing through it. "Where are we?" She asked, unbuckling her helmet and placing it on the handle. She wrapped her arms around her body, shivering slightly.

"A little ways off the highway. It's sorta no-man's land." She nodded, letting him lead the way towards the woods. Jacob helped Anabelle walk through the thick, dense, green forest. They stopped at the bottom of a hill surrounded by greenery and shrubs. Anabelle took her time admiring the view when she heard a car screech to a stop. She instinctively tensed, making Jacob wrap a protective arm around her waist.

A few seconds later, two people arose from the brush of trees. A small petite, pale girl who Anabelle recognized as Bella, and an even paler, lanky guy. His skin looked smooth as marble. His hair all tousled on his head and his gold, yellow eyes were piercing into Jacob's dark brown ones.

Edwards's eyes soon found Anabelle's, making her cower behind Jacob. He then glanced back at Jacob, a look of knowing filled his face. Bella's eyes brightened upon seeing Jacob but still held onto Edward's arm, not making an effort to move. Jacob glanced at Bella and spit, "See you're still alive. For now."

"He thinks I'm keeping you away," Edward said, his voice smooth as silk. Anabelle kept quiet and watched with interest. She remembered the pack talking about certain vampires having gifts. Maybe Edward could read minds. She saw Edward's eyes flicker to her in a sign of a 'Yes.'

Jacob growled. "You stay the hell out of my head. And hers for that matter." He motioned towards Anabelle who was now holding Jacob's hand, rubbing soothing circles on his knuckles.

"Jacob I know you have something to say to me." Edward started. "But I want to say something to you first if that's alright?" After a brief nod from Jacob, Edward continued. "Thank you for keeping Bella alive when I didn't."

"It wasn't for your benefit, trust me." Jacob sneered.

"I'm still grateful," Edward said. "But in here now. And I'm not gonna leave her side until she orders me away." Edward made a move to leave with Bella on his arm.

"My turn to talk," Jacob growled, stepping forward and bringing Anabelle with him. She moved to wrap her arm around his, watching as Bella looked at her intently. "I'm here to remind you about a key part in the treaty."

Edwards nods. "I haven't forgotten."

"What?" Bella asks, "What key part?"

"If any of them bites a human, the treaty is off. And that's bites, not kills." Jacob took another step close to Edward and Bella. Anabelle moved to stand behind Jacob, her arm around his waist and head tucked into his arm.

"But if I choose it, it has nothing to do with you," Bella said, moving closer to Jacob. Edward followed, not trusting the wolf. Jacob tensed and tightened his arm on Anabelle.

"You know what we'll have to do to you, Bella. It doesn't matter if it's you or someone else. That's the treaty! I won't have a choice!" Jacob was shaking slightly. Anabelle tried to soothe him while Edward tried to drag Bella away.

"Belle, please come," Edwards said. She looked at Jacob then at Edward.

"Wait. Is he gonna hurt me? Read his mind." Anabelle glared at the Swan girl for thinking that Jake would hurt her. She intertwined their fingers together, Jacob giving her a weak smile that didn't reach his eyes. Bella stepped forward right in front of Jacob, ignoring Anabelle. "Jake...I love you. You know that. So, please, don't make me choose. Because it'll be him. Whether you like it or not, it has always been him."

Edward stepped closer, grabbing Bella's hand that was on Jacob's arm. "Goodbye Jacob." This made Jacob angry.

"No, you don't speak for her!" Jacob was now tensely shaking making Anabelle remove herself from him and look at him in worry.

"Jake, stop." Anabelle tried telling him before he lunged at Edward, causing him to be flung across the forest. He phased mid-air, into a reddish-brown wolf. The wolf growled at Edward and ran towards Anabelle, shielding her from the vampire. Anabelle gently stroked his fur and looked into his eyes, which were the same dark brown. "I'm ok. You're ok. Everything's ok, right?" The wolf nodded, placing his forehead on her stomach.

Anabelle then looked towards Edward. "¿Sabes español?" After a nod from Edward, Anabelle continued. "Estoy Seguro de que Sam querría Habla con su Aquelarre en algún momento en el Futuro cercano. Ahora, si Hemos terminado aquí, nos iremos ahora." Edward nodded, while Bella looked confused. Anabelle looked towards Jacob's wolf and smiled.

"Let's go home." She said before the wolf sat down on his stomach, letting Anabelle climb herself on his back. "We're gonna go to your house and get some clothes than to Sam's ok? We can get your bike later." The wolf's head nodded and slowly stood up. Anabelle tightened her hold on Jacob's fur before he slowly stood to his full height. She took one final glance towards the couple before The wolf trotted out if the brush and towards the reservation, both feeling uneasy about what just happened.

Jacob's wolf led Anabelle towards the garage behind his house where extra pairs of shorts had been stashed. She picked a pair of cut off jeans shorts and placed them on the floor when Jacob's wolf was. The wolf gathered the fabric in his mouth and walked behind the brush of the forest. A few minutes later, Jacob appeared with the shorts on and no shirt. He embraced Anabelle in a tight, heated hug. "Are you ok?"

"I'm perfectly fine, J. Nothing to worry about." She smiled a genuine smile and grabbed his hand, walking him towards Sam's. He intertwined their fingers, feeling himself relax, her rose scent wafting towards his nose.

They made it the Uley's in less than five minutes, both being able to smell the freshly cooked muffins inside. When they stepped over the threshold, Anabelle was pulled into Paul's arms and into a tight embrace. "Are you ok? Are you hurt? What happened?" He then looked towards Jacob. "Where the fuck has y'all been!?" Anabelle flinched at her brother's assertiveness but kept quiet.

"I did what Sam told me to do. Belle was completely safe, you know I would never let anything happen to her." Jacob said through gritted teeth. "The leeches needed to know what they were up against and if you want to know how Belle felt, why don't you just ask her?"

"Honestly Paul, I'm completely fine. Jacob protected me." Paul took her word and led her to the kitchen table to eat, glaring at Jacob as he did so.

The air was tense while everyone ate. Mostly because of the reappearance from the Cullen's. Anabelle suddenly looked up at Jacob and asked, "What about your bike and my backpack?"

"Embry's on patrol." Sam interrupted. "He can go get it." Anabelle nodded and continued eating her chicken. Jacob was sitting next to her and holding her hand under the table. She sneaked a look in his direction and smiled. He did the same.

The pack, Emily and Anabelle were all sitting and watching a movie when Sam spoke. "What did the leech say when you met with him? Was it Edward?" Jacob nodded and stood up straighter, careful not to jostle his imprint too much.

"I reminded him of the treaty until Bella tried to intervene. She kept on saying that it was her choice and it didn't involve us."

"Well, it does involve us," Paul interjected. "The whole reason we are here, protecting our tribe and our people is those leeches who decided to come back." Anabelle nodded in agreement.

"I told him that Sam would want to meet with their coven. I know I'm technically not in the pack but I think it's best if you talk with them." Sam nodded, taking in what Anabelle was saying. He always respected the 14-year-old because of her problem-solving skills. She was the one to come up with the idea to tie their shorts to their legs.

"Ok. I'll contact the elders and set up a meeting with the Cullen's." Sam said.

Anabelle grabbed her backpack from where Embry put it and grabbed her phone from the table. She heard Paul call her so she rushed to get to the door. "Belle!" She heard Jacob yell from behind her. He ran up to her holding her hardcover copy of Goblet of Fire.

"Oh thank you so much! I would've been looking for it tomorrow." She reached up to peck him on the cheek, having to jump a little because he was so tall. Jacob blushed but straightened up before anyone could see him. He waved from the front door when Anabelle got into the car, before driving away into the night.


	15. Cullen's and Crushes

**Disclaimer: Don't own anything with the exception of my OC's.**

**Chapter 15**

"Princess! Are you ready to go? Gene yelled from the first floor, Anabelle ran down the stairs trying to get her shoes on.

"I'm coming, Dad!" She yelled, walking into the kitchen. Both Paul and her father were sporting Jean shorts and T-shirts. They both greeted her with smiles which she weakly returned. She'd been feeling really down this week because of this appointment and now that it was finally here, she was really antsy and jumpy. She clung to her notebook filled with her questions and would set it out of her sight for the past few days.

"Everyone ready? Anabelle and Paul nodded and headed down the gravel driveway and towards their dad's Ford pick up truck.

"Emily wants to have everyone for dinner tonight at the beach," Paul said casually. "Are you up for that?" Anabelle thought about it for a second. It would help to distract her. She nodded and smiled

The car ride was silent all the way towards Forks Hospital. The Lahotes were told that it was necessary to perform surgery there because there was a particular doctor who had experience with performing these types of surgery.

Once they arrived at the hospital they followed the directions towards the cardiology wing and used the elevator, going down to sub-level one and towards the receptionist desk.

Anabelle Lahote." She said to the receptionist. "I have an appointment. The receptionist nodded and gave her papers to fill out.

"Here princess, let me do these for you." Her father said grabbing the clipboard with the papers on them. Anabelle didn't protest and let her father do the paperwork. She sat down next to Paul who was reading a magazine on new car models. She looks over his shoulder to see a black Porsche Carrera.

"Hey look. She points to the car and says, "That was mom's maiden name.. Paul looked at her and gave her a small smile.

"A sign? She nodded and cuddled close to his chest. A sign.

"Anabelle Lahote. A nurse called from the door. "They're ready for you." Anabelle looks towards her father and brother and stands up. The nurse leads the three of them towards a room where a long table is and chairs are surrounding it. There was nothing on the walls. Only the plain white paint and muddy brown borders. Anabelle sat down in a random seat, already wanting to leave this depressing looking room. "The doctors will be here in a little bit.

"Princess, you got your questions?" Gene asked. Anabelle nodded and placed her notebook on the table in front of her. She then took her pencil and placed it next to the notebook. They had only been waiting less than five minutes when she felt Paul tense. She looked at him with an interested expression. "What is it?" She asked softly.

"There's a leech." He spits. Just then, the door opened to reveal Dr.Brennan and an unknown doctor. His skin was pale white, his eyes the same golden color Anabelle had seen before. He had platinum blond hair, wearing the usual white doctor's coat. Anabelle's eyes widened and realization dawned in her.

Her doctor was a vampire. "Hello everyone. I'd like you to meet Dr. Carlisle Cullen." The vampire smiled gently at the Lahotes but looked at Paul with interest. Anabelle could feel Paul shaking and grabbed his hand.

"If you'll excuse us for a minute." She said grabbing Paul's hand and dragging him out of the room.

He immediately grabbed his phone from his pocket and started dialing a number.

"Hello?

"Hey. Sam. I think we have a problem. We just met Belle's new doctor and it's a leech.

"If it's a Cullen, you're technically in their territory. From what I know, he's not like the red eyes. So I wouldn't worry about it."

"He's a leech. Sam." Paul spits into the phone. "And you're wanting him to treat my sister!? Hell no!"

"Paul, calm down. Ok? He's a doctor. I'm sure he could handle himself because he already does every day. So go back in there and listen to what he has to say. Now I don't want to hear that you gave him any trouble. You're in their territory. Remember that. " Paul grudgingly said yes and hung up.

"Was that Sam?" Anabelle asked hesitantly, not wanting to anger her brother more. Paul looked at her with a sad expression and nodded. He sympathized with her for what she had to watch and listen to and it hurt him that she was in the middle of this mess. He walked up to her and embraced her in a tight hug.

"Sam doesn't think he should be a problem because this is his job, but what do you think? Do you want to go? Anabelle bit her lip. On the one hand, Dr.Cullen was a doctor who could help her. On the other, he was a vampire, the very thing her family was sworn to protect people from. She nodded and took a deep breath.

The siblings walked into the room, both doctors talking with their father. They abruptly stopped and turned to look at the siblings, the tension in the room extremely thick. Gene stood up and walked toward his daughter. He gently pulled her into his arms and led her to the table to sit, with Paul right behind them. Once everyone was settled, both doctors looked towards the Lahote family.

"Hello, Anabelle and Paul. My name is Doctor Carlisle Cullen and I will be the one to perform the surgery." His voice was so smooth just like Edward's and it made Anabelle kind of uncomfortable.

"I know that this is a lot, but I feel like I am confident in answering all of your questions."

Anabelle nodded and took a deep breath. "I actually uh...do have some questions that I'd like to ask. She grabbed her notebook and flipped to the page with her written questions. She readjusted herself in her chair and looked at everyone. After a nod from her father, she said, "Um.where will the incision be? She asked nervously.

"Well because it is open-heart surgery, the incision will be in the middle of your chest from below your collarbone and to your breast bone.' Dr. Cullen said using his hands to illustrate where.

Anabelle nodded and wrote down that information in her notebook

"How long will be in the hospital? She asked meekly, her demeanor slumping some. Paul wrapped a comforting am around her, trying to reassure her. Tears were springing into her eyes already, her emotions taking over.

Carlisle looked at her with sympathy. "Well, that all depends on how long your body takes to heal itself. We will have to break your sternum, your breast bone, so it will heal fully in about six weeks after the surgery. Annabelle wrote down that information as well.

"How long will my surgery take?

"Surgery will take at least 3 hours, maybe less. Even though you have a rare condition, performing surgery will be the easiest thing that will happen in this process." She wrote that down as well.

"I have one more question." Carlisle nodded for her to continue, "Will I be able to have kids one day?" The whole room went quiet and there seemed to be no air.

Carlisle took an unnecessary breath in and said, "Well, it all depends on your condition after you've recovered. There are a lot of possibilities for whether you could mother a child. Usually. I advise women to try a few years post-surgery. So I don't see that ever being a problem since you're so young." After writing down that information, Annabelle looked towards her father who looked like he had some questions of his own. "Daddy?"

Gene looked at his daughter sadly and then at both doctors. "When will her procedure be taking place? I want to make sure I'm not traveling for my work."

Carlisle looked through the papers on his clipboard, analyzing his notes. "Surgery is scheduled for next week. We want to make sure it's as soon as possible. Having the valve still in her heart could damage it further. This made Anabelle panic inside. A week. She had a week to prepare. What does she pack? How will she know if she doesn't know how long she'll be there? What about school? What will recovery be like?

" I can tell the gears in your head are turning and that is completely ok," Carlisle salad with a reassuring smile. Annabelle smiled back a little and nodded.

"Well if that's all." Paul started, not wanting to be in the room a second longer. "Then we will be going." He stood up, bringing Anabelle with him and headed towards the door. Their father, right behind them.

"Actually there is one more thing." Dr. Brennan said, standing up from his seat. "We will need a copy of a will to put on record." Anabelle was confused. A will? Like a will for after your death? Why would she need a will? That thought made her head spin. Annabelle's chest started tightening and she couldn't breathe.

"It's only a precaution. In case something were to go wrong, the hospital wants to be prepared.

Just as the last result. Anabelle nodded in understanding. It didn't hurt to be prepared. But the questions remained.

Would they have to use it?

The Lahotes were now in the car driving back from the hospital. Anabelle was doodling in her notebook, trying to not look bothered because she knew Paul was watching her. He watched her intently, making sure she was comfortable and waiting to hear if she needed anything. He leaned in next to her ear and weakly. She couldn't and wouldn't let this put a damper on her day. She was going to enjoy herself and enjoy spending the night with her pack. whispered, "Do you still want to go to Emily's? She glanced at him and nodded

Their father was hesitant to let them go but nonetheless felt like his daughter needed time to process and needed a distraction from everything right now. He dropped them off at the entrance of the beach and left after telling Paul to be home by midnight.

The siblings walked along the path towards the beach in silence. Anabelle closed her eyes and listened to the crashing of the waves and smelled the salt in the air. Then, heavy footfalls surrounded her senses, making her flutter her eyes open. She saw three silhouettes before she was embraced in a tight, warm group hug. She wrapped her arms around the body in front of her and squeezed. She let the warmth calm her and ease her tense muscles but not completely.

The hug ended and Anabelle smiled at Jared, Embry, and Seth, her mood already improving. Leah walked towards her and gave her a small smile which she returned. Next to greet her were Sam and Emily, making Leah leave swiftly and join the guys in a game of soccer.

"Hey, Belle! How are you doing?" Emily asked. Her body was tucked into Sam's, making Anabelle smile. They were perfect for each other, all because of a beautiful thing called imprinting. Emily soon scurried over to the food to get Anabelle a plate, leaving the young girl with Sam.

"Belle, I just want to make sure that you're comfortable with the Doctor. I know you know the legends and what the Cold Ones can do. But I need to know that you're fine with it. Anabelle nodded and thought about it. Yes, Dr.Cullen was a vampire. But he was also a certified doctor who had probably been one for a long time. And he had performed these kinds of surgeries before. And, he was her only option.

"I'm fine with it. Honest Sam. No matter where we come from, this a professional thing that needs to be done. There's a difference between work and play. Church and state. Ya know?" Sam nodded and smiled slightly. She was taking this all in stride. "Plus we can sue i he refuses. They both laughed to themselves and walked over to the logs where the pack was sitting

"Here you go Belle," Emily said placing a plate of food in her lap once she sat down. Anabelle immediately started eating her chicken and mashed potatoes. Everyone came back from playing soccer and sat where there were open seats

"Where's J?" Annabelle asked, taking a sip of her soda

"He's on patrol. He should be done in a bit. Anabelle nodded and sat with the pack for a bit. They talked about future plans that they could make after school the following week. No one mentioned anything about her surgery or the vampire doctor, which she was thankful for.

About fifteen minutes later, she heard a rustle in the forest from behind her. The pack al moved towards the beach but Anabelle stayed back. She heard the rustle again and stood up. searching the brush for anything that might not be good. She closed her eyes just in time to hear something explode out of the trees, making Anabelle yelp in surprise. She then heard deep breathing and opened her eyes. Once they adjusted, she saw Jacob. His hair was al matted and he was only wearing the signature cutoff jeans. He ringed his hair out, not noticing Anabelle, but she sure noticed him. He was sweating, his body glistening in the sunlight. His abs defined and chiseled. like a greek god

She couldn't help but stare. She felt that familiar warm feeling again. Her stomach was doing lips and it felt like butterflies were fluttering all throughout her body. She took a deep breath trying to slow down her racing heart rate. Jacob, having heightened senses, noticed this.

"Is everything alright?" She looked up to see him with a concerned expression on his face. She nodded her head and smiled weakly, trying not to blush from his gaze. He walked towards her more and looked out to where the pack was. "I Just got off patrol. Gotta tell Jared now. He paused

"Belle? Are you sure everything is alright?" She was still staring at him. She took another breath, steadying herself.

"Yeah, everything's fine. U. I'm just going to uh. go watch the soccer game. She turned around and hurried to where the pack was, making sure not to trip and fall on the rocky sand.

Jacob chuckled and shook his head. This was the crush stage along with the freeze and fly stage.

Emily had talked to him earlier when the Lahotes were out. There were apparently 10 stages and they were all very important.

Something he had noticed more this week was the way Anabelle was acting. He assumed it was the stress of her surgery but now he was thinking otherwise. It reminded him of the breakfast incident. Yeah, that was interesting.

Jacob woke up feeling grumpy and disoriented. Sam had him work doubles the night before because of a sighting of the redhead. He grudgingly got up and put on a pair of shorts before leaving his room and making his way towards the kitchen. He stopped short in the hallway when a sweet smell overtook his senses. It was also accompanied by flowers. More specifically roses.

This made Jacob widen his eyes. She was here. In his house. At 7 o'clock in the morning. He quickly regained his footing and walked into the kitchen. He found Billy sitting at the table with a cup of coffee in one hand and the newspaper in the other.

"Now Billy," Anabelle said, still facing the stove and mixing something in her arms. "Are you sure you don't want pancakes? Breakfast is the most important meal of the day and I don't want my conscious to know that I..." she faltered when she turned around to see Jacob. His hair was more mattered than usual. The only piece of clothing he had on were low waisted jean shorts. She looked up towards his face. His deep, chiseled, bright face, that held a smile that could light up any room.

Anabelle, who was holding the mixer, accidentally pushed the power button causing batter spew all over Jacob's torso and face. Anabelle gasped and hurriedly picked up a washcloth. She wet it slightly and started to dab the batter off of Jacob's body. She started at his neck and slowly made her way down.

"I'm so sorry. I guess my finger slipped. I wasn't careful with the button." She chastised herself when a warm hand grabbed hold of her hand. She immediately understood what she was doing and dropped the rag, it squishing into the floor below her. She looked up to see Jacob with a smirk on his face and an eyebrow raised.

"Um. I'm just gonna." she took a step back from Jacob and moved towards the entryway. "I'll be right back." Both men chuckled when the young girl scurried to the bathroom before closing the door.

"She sure is something son," Billy said wheeling towards the living room. Jacob nodded, still surprised that his imprint was rubbing his bare chest not five minutes ago.

"Yeah. She sure is."

...

Jacob smiled to himself and walked over to the pack. "Jared! You're up. He walked over to where Anabelle was sitting and sat in the seat next to her. He smiled, making her blush and look away quickly. It was cute to see her reaction to him. He felt his wolf inside him feeling happy and content.

But he honestly wanted more. He was falling for her. And fast. He just didn't know if she felt the same way. He obviously knew she thought he was attractive but there was no indication that she had feelings for him.

But he was going to change that. He didn't care whether Paul would like it or not. He won't let anything stop him from telling Anabelle how he felt.


	16. Packing and Pressed Confessions

Chapter 16

"Shirts?"

"Check."

"Pants?"

"Check."

"Pajamas?"

"Check."

"Bras?"

"Check."

"And finally...underwear?" Anabelle nodded and placed her underwear in her suitcase. It was early Friday afternoon and she had recruited Leah to help her pack. One, because she was available. And two, because she was a girl and Anabelle did not want any of the boys looking at her underwear and bras. Emily had nominated herself to make dinner for everyone as Anabelle's last meal before her procedure. Leah made her way through the list in her hand and checked off everything.

"Ok, that is it. You are good to go for tomorrow." Anabelle let out a deep breath and closed her suitcase with the zipper. He plopped on her bed next to Leah and rubbed her face.

"Finally, we're done. I didn't know you needed that much time to pack one suitcase." Leah laughed and made sure there were toiletries in the smaller pocket before zipping it up. She double-checked the list and placed it on top of the dresser. Leah then laid next to Anabelle. The girls both let out a breath then proceeded to laugh.

"What time do we need to be at the beach?" Leah checked her phone.

"In about an hour. We should probably be getting ready." Anabelle nodded and sat back up and looked around her room. There was a stack of cards that she received that day at school from friends and teachers, either saying 'Good luck, ' or 'Be strong.' Right next to it was a stack of assignments, all related to her five core classes along with her two electives. She would have to make up her tests when she can back but it was better than nothing.

She slowly looked around the room, taking in her walls and how decorated it was. There were a lot of Eiffel Tower posters as well as posters of wolves. Her room was painted a pale blue with the ceiling a bright silver with glitter all throughout. She looked towards her dresser that was sporting photos all around the top. She had one of her for every year she had been alive. The most recent one was of the pack and her at the beach.

She then looked at her bookshelf. There were tons of books on the shelves, ranging from romance to thriller. She had to decide which two she would want to bring with her. Considering she loved all her books, it was a very difficult choice for her to make. But she wouldn't worry about that now. Not yet. Emily had advised her to not worry about anything and everything would be ok. But that was difficult when everyone looked at her with pitying faces and sad eyes. She had lived with that her whole life and that's how it was. It was hard enough making friends and she was grateful that she had found Mason. It felt like just yesterday, they had met.

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

_"No no no no no no no!" 11-year-old Anabelle muttered to herself. "I cannot be late on my first day." She cursed Paul for turning off her alarm as a prank when she teased him about being rejected by a girl who he hit on at a party. She rushed through the hallway trying to look for her class, looking down every hall. She turned a corner suddenly and rammed into someone, their head hitting right at her chest._

_She flew backward and landed on her butt, her copy of Chamber of Secrets sliding into a locker.__Anabelle groaned and rubbed her head. Shit, that hurt. She heard someone else groan from in front of her so she looked up. A boy, about her age, was also rubbing his head and gathering up his stuff. Anabelle grabbed her backpack and book from the floor and advanced towards the boy._

_"I am so sorry. I was not looking where I was going." She apologized. The boy shook out his wild dirty brown hair and looked up at Anabelle. His eyes were a light brown, and she could see all the intricate details of his irises.__The unknown boy chuckled and waved her off, getting up in the process._

_"It's no problem. I've been rushing all morning." The boy chuckled. "I guess I should be apologizing too." They stood there for a moment, not really knowing what to do until the boy spoke up. "I'm Mason, by the way." He held out his hand, Anabelle doing the same.__"I'm Anabelle. Nice to meet you."_

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Anabelle smiled at the memory while looking through her closet for an outfit to wear to the bonfire. It was early April, but that didn't necessarily mean it would be warm. She ended up picking a pair of black leggings with a blue t-shirt. She was tying her shoes when Leah walked through her door in her usual cut off shorts and an off white shirt. "Ready?"

Anabelle nodded and jumped up from her bed. "Ready."

It was rather chilly at the beach and Anabelle shivered as a gust of wind flew towards her. Leah chuckled at the young girl making Anabelle glare at her. "Shut up 108-degree werewolf." Leah barked out a laugh and nudged her a little bit.

"It's not like you don't have that advantage. What with you and Jacob getting close." Anabelle blushed and covered her face hoping to cover it. It didn't.

"We're just friends," Anabelle said. Leah rolled her eyes and gave her a look. "What? We are."

"In my honest opinion, " Leah started. "I think that's complete and utter bullshit." She crossed her arms, emphasizing her point. "You two like each other. That's blatantly obvious. Just admit it. You like Jacob."

Anabelle glared at Leah but was also blushing. It had reached her whole face as well as her neck. "Ok. I do like Jacob but I don't think he likes me back. He only thinks of me as a friend. I'm the little one, remember? He might just think it's weird." She waved it off like it was nothing even though she was trying not to let it get to her head.

She realized she liked Jacob the day Harry died and Emily told her she noticed Anabelle looking at him differently. She then thought nothing of it but also remembered when she saw him appear out of the woods, his chest exposed and his muscles rippling. He was very handsome, no doubt. But there was something more. When Jacob was in her presence, she felt warm and light. Whenever he smiled at her, it brightened her day even if it was starting to feel like the worst.

"What you got running through your head?" Leah asked. Anabelle shook her head, her blush slightly increasing.

"Just thinking." She dismissed him. She was thankful that they made it to the area where the pack was sitting. "Hey, guys!" At the sound of her voice, the pack jumped up and embraced Anabelle in a giant hug causing her to laugh and trying her very best to breathe. "I need some oxygen guys! I can't live without it." They immediately gave her room and space, mumbling 'sorry.'

Anabelle then moved on to Emily who gave her a big hug and led her to the table of food set up a ways away from the fire. "We have chicken and rice along with some corn and mashed potatoes." The food was displayed all in trays in mass amounts to feed a small army.

"This looks amazing Em!"

"And that's not even the best part." Emily gushed. She dragged Anabelle to the end of the table and uncovered a tray. It opened to reveal a two-layer chocolate cake covered in frosting with sprinkles adorning the top. Anabelle was amazed by what Emily made, her jaw dropped.

"Oh my God, Emily!" Anabelle squealed. "This is amazing! Is that buttercream!? And oh my God! The piping! This is incredible!" She quickly embraced the older and thanked her over and over again.

"It was no problem, pretty girl." She then looked at Anabelle with a stern expression. "But I do want at least 10% of the cake empire you are going to build one day." After agreeing to it, Anabelle gathered a plate of food for herself and for Paul.

She walked over to the pack with plates in hand and sat down in between Jacob and Paul. Jacob gave her a grin, making her blush under his gaze. Now that Leah had forced a confession out of her, she couldn't hide it. He was attractive in the manliest way. His whole persona screamed 'male.' Anabelle, not having any experience with boys, tried to not make anything obvious. But judging by Jacobs smirk, she wasn't doing a very good job.

Jacob, on the other hand, was feeling ecstatic. She was so beautiful and seeing her reaction towards him made him feel complete. He knew since the moment he imprinted on her, he was not going to be able to ignore or reject her in any way, shape or form. She looked beautiful tonight. Her leggings hugging her body with her shirt flowing in the night breeze.

Jacob had been wracking his brain on trying to figure out the right time to tell her he had feelings for her. How could he not? She was smart, funny, courteous, lively, silly, and most of all, brave. But he didn't want to just say it out in the open. Anabelle's big thing is that actions speak louder than words and he was taking that to heart. He just didn't know what to do.

"Ok, everyone. First, I want to thank everybody for coming together for my little sister here." Paul said, ruffling Anabelle's hair making her glare at him. "And since she's gonna be locked up for a while, we might as well hear her bust out the pipes before she leaves." Anabelle rolled her eyes and blushed while the pack laughed. "So, Belle? What do you say?"

Anabelle shook her head before her eyes landed on Jacob and his smile he was aiming towards her. It took her a second before looking at the pack and biting her lip when she nodded very lightly.

The pack erupted in cheers as Anabelle made her way towards the edge of the fire, making sure everyone could see her. She looked at the pack's eager eyes and blushed before taking a deep breath.

**_Like a small boat_**

**_On the ocean_**

**_Sending big waves_**

**I_nto _motion**

**_Like how a single word_**

**_Can make a heart open_**

**_I might only have one match_**

**_But I can make an explosion_**

**_And all those things I didn't say_**

**_Wrecking balls inside my brain_**

**_I will scream them loud tonight_**

**_Can you hear my voice this time?__This is my fight song_**

**_Take back my life song_**

**_Prove I'm alright song_**

**_My power's turned on_**

**_Starting right now I'll be strong_**

**_I'll play my fight_ songs**

**_And I don't really care if nobody else _believes **

**_Cause I've still got a lot of fight left in me_**

**_Losing friends and I'm chasing _sleeps**

**_Everybody's worried about me_**

**_In too deep_**

**_Say I'm in too deep (in too deep)_**

**_And it's been two years I miss my _home**

**_But there's a fire burning in my bones_**

**_Still _believe**

**_Yeah, I still believe_**

**_And all those things I didn't say_**

**_Wrecking balls inside my brain_**

**_I will scream them loud tonight_**

**_Can you hear my voice this time?_**

**_This is my fight song_**

**_Take back my life song_**

**_Prove I'm alright song_**

**_My power's turned _on**

**_Starting right now I'll be strong_**

**_I'll play my fight song_**

**_And I don't really care if nobody else believes_**

**_'Cause I've still got a lot of fight left in me_**

**_A lot of fight left in me_**

**_Like a small boat_**

**_On the ocean_**

**_Sending big _waves**

**_Into motion_**

**_Like how a single word_**

**_Can make a heart open_**

**_I might only have one match_**

**_But I can make an explosion_**

**_This is my fight song_**

**_Take back my life _****songs**

**Pr_ove I'm alright song_**

**_My power's turned on_**

**_Starting right now I'll be strong (I'll be strong)_**

**_I'll play my fight song_**

**_And I don't really care if nobody else _believes**

**_Cause I've still got a lot of fight left in me_**

**_Know I've still got a lot of fight left in me_**

Anabelle ended the song a little out of breath but she smiled nonetheless. She had heard the song on Music on Demand and thought it fit her life perfectly. The pack erupted in cheers one again. Some of them even standing and pumping their fists in the air, while making whooping sounds. She smiled and blushed, the longer she thought about it, the more she realized she hadn't sung in front of the pack before.

"Thank you, thank you." She bowed and waved her hands in a swishing manner. She walked back over to her brother and Jacob with a light blush across her face. Jacob's voice caught when she sat next to him on the log. His face was still, never looking anywhere but her. She was, in every way, perfect.

Suddenly, a shrill sound came from his shorts. He looked down to see his phone lit up with Bella's name on it. He groaned. She had been calling every day, on his phone and the landline. She broke whatever was left of their friendship when she ran off to Italy to save her leech. Even Billy was over it. He made the mistake of answering the phone, thinking it was Sue and was only welcomed with Bella's voice asking where Jake was. And every time, Billy would say Jake was out. But Bella wouldn't believe him.

"Hey J. You gonna get that?" He looked to see Anabelle pointing to his phone in his pocket. He grabbed it and declined.

"Nah. It's not important." He gave her a smile making her blush. "So uh… Are you all packed?" He asked, trying to make conversation.

"Pretty much," Anabelle replied. "But I am having a hard time choosing which book to take. I have a lot." They both chuckled a little. "But other than that, I'm good. I have all my school work so that's gonna be fun to do." Jacob laughed at her sarcastic tone and scooted closer making it look like he was getting comfortable. But it didn't go unnoticed by Paul who gave Jacob a look to keep his distance.

"It's getting late," Paul announced suddenly jumping up from his seat. "We have an early morning. Let's go, Belle." Anabelle listened and stood up, walking to everyone to say bye.

Anabelle started with Jacob, giving him a hug and saying bye. Jacob hugged her back, squeezing a little longer than usual. He also discreetly kissed her forehead making Anabelle smile up at him with a light blush on her cheeks. As she was going around Paul glared towards Jacob. "I saw that just now. Don't think I forgot about what I told you. She needs time." He whispered.

"How much time?" Jacob whispered back. "I can tell she likes me. Or somewhat. And I like her too. I don't understand why you think I shouldn't tell her."

Paul ignored him. "What about the leech lover? Don't think I don't know that she calls you nonstop." Jacob rolled her eyes.

"Then you would know that I don't talk to her anymore. She made her choice, ok? Doesn't matter if I like it or not. Plus, I got more important things to care about." Paul followed Jacob's gaze and landed on his sister hugging Leah bye and talking with the she-wolf. Paul's gaze instantly softened.

"Just make sure you're completely over the leech lover. My sister deserves the world. And you can't be with her if you can't give her that much." Paul walked away towards his sister and led her to the car, wrapping a protective arm around her shoulders. Jacob watched them leave, sadness already encompassing him with every step Anabelle took.

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Anabelle lay wide awake in her bed. She couldn't sleep. There were too many thoughts swirling her head. She could hear her father and Paul's snores from the hall, the sound echoing through the house. She looked towards her alarm clock. 2:03. She couldn't stay in this bed for two and a half more hours. She just couldn't.

So she picked up her phone and dialed a number. She put it up to her ear and after 2 rings, a low, groggy voice answered. "Belle. Is everything alright? What's wrong?"

"Nothings wrong. But could you come pick me up? I need your help J."


	17. Momma's Grave

**A/N Hey guys. its been a minute. just wanted to say im so sorry for not updating, its been a long month of staying home and getting my school work done. Stupid Coronavirus! Anyway, I will try to update as soon as i can. Thank you and be sure to review. This ones longer so...yeah.**

Chapter 17

Jacob awoke to his phone ringing from his bedside table. He wiped his eyes, making them adjust to the darkness. He picked up his phone, his eyes widening when he saw the caller ID. Belle. "Belle. Is everything alright? What's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong. But could you pick me up? I need your help J." Jacob glanced at his clock. It was barely past 2. "I know it's early J but I really need to do something. Please." Jacob could hear the desperation coming from her voice and he knew he couldn't resist her.

"I'll be there in 10 minutes." He said. After hearing a soft thank you, he ended the call and got up out of bed. He put on some cut off shorts and a t-shirt before grabbing the keys to the rabbit. It didn't take a lot of effort to walk out of the house considering Billy slept like the dead and wouldn't wake up very easily. Once he made it to the rabbit, he powered the ignition, happy it sounded smooth with no obnoxious noise.

He slowly made his way to Anabelle's house making sure to not park in the driveway but on the curb. He quickly sent a text saying, I'm here in the front.

A few minutes later, Anabelle walked out of her house in a pair of jeans and a purple t-shirt. Her black hair pulled back in a high ponytail with a headband atop her head. She held a piece of paper in her hand along with what Jacob assumed to be a stuffed animal of some kind. Anabelle opened the door, smiling at Jacob before hoping in.

They sat there for a few seconds before Anabelle shook her head. "I can't do this. I'm sorry for waking you up."

"No, it's fine," Jacob said, grabbing her hand. "It's gotta be really important if we have to do it at 2 in the morning." Anabelle hung her head.

"Yeah, I kinda forgot about it until I woke up." She looked up at him. "We don't have to go if you don't want to. I just thought." She shrugged but widened her eyes when Jacob turned the engine back on and made his way down the street.

"Where to?" Anabelle smiled and led them to their destination.

They arrived at a large metal gate surrounded by stone walls. The moon shining brightly in the sky. Jacob looked up to read the words at the top of the gate. La Push Cemetery. He swallowed and closed his eyes. He caught Anabelle's gaze and studied her expression. There seemed to be none except her eyes. They held hurt, loss, sadness. She took a deep breath, trying to steady it.

"Belle? Why are we here?" Jacob asked softly, noticing that she held the price of paper in her hand tightly. Anabelle sniffled and wiped the tears that were starting to make an appearance in her eyes.

"I just...uh...I need to see someone." She didn't say anything else. Instead, she opened the door and hopped out of the car holding her letter and, what Jacob could now see, a stuffed black and white orca.

Jacob instinctively followed her and cut the ignition. He got out of the car and followed Anabelle towards the gate. "How will we get in?"

Anabelle didn't say anything. Instead, after dropping her letter and orca delicately on the floor, she picked up a rock that was sitting at the edge of the gate, plucking a pair of keys from the muddy soil. She then picked the thinnest key and unlocked the chain that was wrapped around the gate. Jacob stayed still as she pulled the chain through the gate and dropped it to the floor.

With a grunt, Anabelle pulled one of the gates and opened it up halfway. Suddenly Jacob gripped her wrist, stopping her from pulling the gate further. "Hey, how did you? How did you know a way to get in?"

"Paul and I used to come here more often before he phased. But we didn't like that people could see us. Some people are nosy and want to know why two kids are alone in a cemetery. It was just easier." Jacob dropped his hold of her wrist, letting her pick up her paper and orca. She held both in one hand and grabbed Jacob's with the other.

Jacob let Anabelle lead him wherever she wanted to go. He took a deep breath, knowing his mother was buried close by. He tried to steady his breath, focusing on Anabelle's scent. He followed her along the dirt path where the L's were located. Anabelle turned to the right but stopped walking.

"Why'd you stop?" Jacob asked. Anabelle shook her head and sniffled.

"I don't know if I can do it. I don't know if I can read it to her. I haven't been here in so long." Jacob wrapped his arms around Anabelle's waist, calming her from her aggressive emotions that were on their way to spilling out. She took a deep breath and counted down from ten in her head.

She let Jacob lead her while she pointed in the direction they needed to go. They stopped in front of a gravestone with beautiful chiseled calligraphy carved in the stone.

Maria Lahore

Beloved Wife and Mother

October 9th, 1970 - March 15, 1992

Anabelle sniffled and covered her mouth, trying to keep the sobs at bay. Jacob rubbed her back soothingly until Anabelle grabbed her stuffed orca and placed it upon her mother's grave. "Dad said it was Mom's when she was little. Before she died, she planned on giving it to me the moment I was born. Dad said she wanted to take me to the same place she got it. A place called Sea World." She lightly chuckled and looked at Jacob who was slightly smiling at her.

She then looked back at her mother's gravestone and unfolded the piece of paper that was in her hand. She suddenly became very nervous. There was so much that she wanted to say, so she sat at her desk and scribbled away while she was waiting for Jacob to pick her up earlier that night.

After an encouraging nod from Jacob, Anabelle took a deep breath and started talking. "First of all, Mom, I'd like to say that I miss you. So much. I could never thank you enough for bringing me into this world where I am loved and cared for. Both Dad and Paul treat me like a princess and there is nothing more I could ask for." Her breath catches in her throat and she swallows. Jacob felt nothing but empathy towards her. Yes, his mom died too, but he knew his mom.

His mind couldn't comprehend what it would be like to not have a mother at all. His most cherished memories of his mother included her cooking and her painting. He remembers how she would make homemade chicken noodle soup. She always included vegetables saying her boy needs to be 'strong' and 'healthy.'

Jacob looked over in Anabelle's direction and saw that she was kneeling down, engrossed in talking to her mother, so he walked a few yards to a bench to give her some privacy.

Anabelle paused and looked towards the bench where Jacob was sitting and smiled. "Um, Mom. As you obviously know I'm fourteen now and my quinceañera is coming up in less than a year." She chuckled and shook her head. "And I uh...found your binder and started using it. With Emily, Sam's imprint. She's really excited, maybe even more than me." She took a deep breath and slowly let it out.

She suddenly became overcome with emotions causing tears to spring on her eyes. "Oh God, I wish you were here Mom." She whispered, placing her hand on the cold concrete tombstone. Tears were slowly making an appearance on her face. This led Anabelle to take a deep breath in and slowly blow it out.

After catching her breath and steadying it, she focused on the good things to tell her mom. "Emily's excited about next year. She's named herself my planner and doesn't want me to worry about anything. It's good that I know about the pack. I could rope them into being in my court." After looking towards where Jacob was sitting, she turned back. "There's new pack members. Seth and Leah Clearwater. And Jacob Black."

She automatically blushed at the mention of his name. "All of them treat me like I'm family. I never thought I would have this amount of people that care about me. Especially Jacob. I met him on my birthday but we didn't talk until I was in the hospital. He seemed really concerned about me and always asked if I was ok. We have been getting closer every day. He drives me to and from school every day. I don't think he knows this." She whispered, silently giggling. "But I know that he watches me enter the building, even though he acts like he's turning on the ignition. I mean. It doesn't take that long."

She then sighed heavily. "I really like him but I don't know how to tell him. Imprinting is said to be very rare but there are already two imprinted couples and I wouldn't be surprised if there were more. I just think that if he did imprint on me, he would have told me already." She quickly dismissed the thought. "But I don't really like to think about that. I appreciate our friendship too much to not jeopardize it."

She looked back at Jacob, looking at her intently. His face was glowing in the light of the moon. Absolutely perfect, Anabelle thought. After saying her goodbyes to her mother and promising to visit soon, she gently placed the orca next to the gravestone, in hopes of her mother knowing she had it and was taking care of it.

Anabelle then walked back to Jacob who was now standing with his hands in his pockets. Jacob looked at his imprint, feeling her sadness. She walked up to him and looked into his eyes. "Can we go home now?" She whispered. She looked so small, Jacob just wanted to scoop her up and hold her. Carry her off to somewhere that couldn't hurt her.

He nodded and held her to his side, making sure she was cuddled from the cold. She visibly relaxed, cuddling into his side. "You're really hot, J." She whispered into his chest.

Jacob smiled smugly and replied, "Why thank you. I like to think so but it's good to receive extra reassurance." He laughed when Anabelle slapped his chest and blushed.

"I didn't mean it like and you know it." She pushed off of him and climbed into the car. She buckled her seatbelt and looked at the digital clock on the dashboard. 3:30. She groaned, knowing everyone's alarms would go off at 4.

"What's wrong?" Jacob asked.

"My family's alarms are gonna go off at 4. I don't think we'll make it in time." Anabelle sighed and tried preparing herself for what her father and brother would say.

"I don't think it would be that big of a deal," Jacob assured, squeezing her hand. "It's not like you were doing something bad. I'm sure they would understand." This reassured Anabelle enough to where she could relax on the way back.

The drive home was quiet. Mainly because Anabelle was very tired and had her eyes closed most of the time and was falling in and out of consciousness. Jacob's hand was still gripping hers, his thumb tracing random patterns on her knuckles. While driving, Jacob had a chance to reflect on some things. He had wanted to confess his growing feelings towards Anabelle as soon as possible but didn't know how to approach the subject. He had accidentally eavesdropped when Anabelle was talking to her mother but didn't say anything. He knew Anabelle was shy and it would take a lot for her to admit her feelings. This had made him a little paranoid in what Anabelle's true feelings were.

He had been flirting with her non-stop for the past week and, in his opinion, it was going well. He would drown her in compliments, tease her endlessly, and overall, try to make her feel happy whenever she was in his presence. It was also normal to give her a goodbye kiss on the forehead. Granted a lot of the pack did that when saying goodbye. But Jacob would always make sure his lips lingered longer than usual.

He was new to the idea of a relationship. He had never had a girlfriend. Just crushes that he didn't act on. The latest being Bella. Jacob rolled his eyes, thinking of how naive he was to ever think he had a chance with Bella. He guesses it was all the time they spent together rebuilding the dirt bikes. Then again, it was only to distract Bella from the pain of Edward's leave. He knew that now. But maybe he would have met Anabelle earlier and stopped any of this from happening.

He shook his head, riding those thoughts away. He didn't want to

think of that. He needed to focus on Anabelle and solely Anabelle. He gazed at her and smiled. She was asleep, her head was leaning on the window and her mouth was slightly open. He noticed when she breathed in and out, her body shook slightly. Her body shook and rocked even when Jacob cut the engine when he arrived at her house.

"Anabelle?" Jacob whispered, lightly shaking her. "We're here." Her eyes fluttered open, adjusting to the darkness. She yawned, making Jacob smile. She was so cute.

Anabelle looked towards the clock and groaned. 3:55. "Hey, it's not gonna be that bad," Jacob said. "Do you want me to go with you?"

She shook her head and opened the door to get out. "No. It'll be worse. Trust me. But thank you for taking me. I can always count on you, J." Jacob smiled at the nickname, remembering how he got it.

It was the third day that Jacob would drive Anabelle to school and Jacob was waiting for Anabelle to come out of the house.

Anabelle walked out wearing a pair of skinny jeans and a tight aqua-colored t-shirt. His breath was caught on his throat and he couldn't help but stare. He quickly tried to compose himself, straightening up and opening the door for her.

"Thank you, Jacob." She said, surprised by the kind gesture. Jacob made a face at the way she said his name. It's not that he didn't love when she said it, it sounded beautiful. But it also sounded so formal, so professional.

"You know you can call me 'Jake' right? Everyone else does." He said getting into the Rabbit. Anabelle raised an eyebrow and smiled.

"Well, I'm not everyone." She smirked before laughing. "So… how about I call you J?" Jacob looked at her.

"J." He said questioningly. Anabelle nodded. Jacob shrugged. "Ok. Yeah, I like it. Thank you for the new nickname."

Anabelle grinned and nodded. "You're welcome J."

Anabelle waved at Jacob before slowly turning the doorknob, careful not to make any noise. She quickly made her way through the living room when a lamp turned on revealing Paul in a pair of pajama pants, sitting in on the love seat. Anabelle jumped but was careful not to make a sound.

"Where the hell have you been?" Paul whispered harshly, making Anabelle wince. "I woke up at 3:30 to find my little sister, not in her bed. Do you have any idea what thoughts my mind came up with."

"I'm sorry. I just- I needed-" She took a deep breath and slowly blew it out. "I- I went to see Mom. I'm really sorry, I just felt that I needed to see her before today and yeah." She hung her head and looked down at her feet.

Paul's eyes softened seeing her face. "It's ok, Belle. I know it's hard." He walked up to her, wrapping his arms around her and placed his head on hers. "Now come on, let's go get ready. I already showered so you have it yourself. I'll make sure you have your stuff ready." Anabelle smiled and nodded before turning towards the stairs.

"You didn't use the hot water did you?" She asked dramatically, turning around and raising an eyebrow. All she received was a sly smirk and a raised eyebrow. And with that she sighed and trudged up the stairs.


	18. The Calm Before The Storm

**A/N Here's another chapter for y'all. Please review.**

Chapter 18

5:30 AM. An hour till she needed to be at the hospital. Sighing, Anabelle unplugged her iPod and placed it in her travel bag along with her headphones. There was then a knock on her door. "Hey there princess," Gene said, smiling brightly to lift his daughter's spirits. "Are you ready to go?" The 14-year-old nodded and dragged her feet to the door. She was super hungry and wanted breakfast. She couldn't wait till she could eat again. This fasting thing was taking a toll on her.

She walked downstairs to find her father with her bags at his feet and Paul eating a bag of cereal. "Paul! You know I can't eat." Anabelle exclaimed.

"What?" Paul asked, a mouthful of fruit loops in his mouth. "You don't even like cereal. I'm the only one who eats it."

Anabelle rolled her eyes and gathered her book bag filled with things she thought would entertain her. After making sure she had everything, she followed with a sense of nervousness but held her composure.

All three Lahote's filed into the Toyota truck and drove 30 minutes to Forks General Hospital. Gene could sense that Anabelle was antsy so he looked at her through the rearview mirror and asked, "You want some music, Princess?"

She nodded numbly. "Yes, please." Paul reached for the dial and turned it to a local country station. Anabelle lip sang to the song but didn't make any noise. She stared out the window, hoping this was all a dream. She pinched herself, just in case it was.

It wasn't.

She slowly sank into her seat, closing her eyes, still hoping that when she woke up, she'd be in bed.

The Lahotes' arrived at the hospital thirty minutes ahead of schedule, making sure they had time to check in with time to spare. After checking in at the receptionist's desk. They were now seated in a large waiting area with glass surrounding the entrance. After looking around and finding nothing to focus on, Anabelle took out her Harry Potter book from her bag and began to read it.

She glanced at Paul to find that he was playing on his Nintendo DS that he got for Christmas a few years ago. Even though it was a few years old, Paul insisted that it still worked and already had a collection of games to play.

While Gene went to turn in the paperwork, Paul and Anabelle sat next to each other, immersed in their own thing. When Gene came back, he said that everything was going to plan and to just sit tight.

And that's what they did, for two hours.

At around 8, a nurse, led the Lahote's to the elevator to go to level 4 to prepare Anabelle. Gathering all their things, and traveling up in the elevator, the Lahote's are then led to a room full of beds and curtains that can provide privacy.

"There is a bathroom over there where you can change into this." The nurse said, handing Anabelle a gown. "Only leave your underwear on, no bra. I'll be near if you need anything." After nodding, Anabelle slowly made her way to the bathroom, already feeling uncomfortable. Every single time she had to wear a blue gown, she felt vulnerable and cold. Like everyone could see through her. She quickly tied it in the front, making sure you couldn't see anything before placing her clothes in the plastic bag that was provided, then putting on the highly gripped hospital socks.

She then put her hair in a bun and made sure she looked presentable before leaving the bathroom.

She stopped in her tracks when she saw several tall native Americans circled around her bed. Having heard her, the pack turned around and all smiled brightly. Anabelle noticed someone fight through the crowd and grinned at seeing Jacob. She shuffled as fast as she could and hugged him as hard as she could while not exposing anything.

He hugged back strongly as well, breathing in her scent. Roses. The whole pack noticed how Anabelle visibly relaxed and looked less tense when being embraced by Jacob. When they pulled away, they both smiled at each other before someone cleared their throat. They both looked up to see Gene looking at them curiously.

Trying to make it less awkward, Anabelle hugged everyone else before getting to the bed. And covering herself with the warm thick blanket. "What are all y'all doing here?"

"We were all free today," Seth answered, smiling his bright smile. Anabelle looked at Jacob confused.

"Why didn't you tell me you were coming last night?" Anabelle asked Jacob making him roll his eyes.

"Then it wouldn't be a surprise now would it?" He winked at her causing her to blush.

Emily then stepped forwards with a white folded piece of fabric. "And here are your other surprises." She fanned it out, showing a big red heart with black lettering that said, 'BelleBrave.' "We had them made as soon as we heard." Anabelle then saw the pack unzipping their jackets that she didn't even notice they had on and revealed the same shirt sporting on all their chests. Even Leah had one.

"Aww, guys! Y'all look so cute when y'all match!" All the Lahote's laughed while the pack grumbled.

"I prefer the term, 'Highly Attractive.' Jacob retorted, flexing his biceps and earning a blush from Anabelle.

"Aww guys, that is so sweet of you," Anabelle said already getting emotional. "Y'all are gonna make me cry." She wiped her eyes with her arm and laughed. "Thank you, Em." She embraced Emily in a big hug before letting go and getting comfortable in the bed.

"So Belle, is that really what you have to wear?" Embry asked, eyeing her hospital gown.

"Yup. It's not very flattering but it's not too bad." She shrugged, grabbing her book and iPod, and placing them on the bed. "And the socks are comfortable." She wiggled her feet free, showcasing her socks.

"We also got you some things to spend your time with," Leah said, bringing a basket full of activity books forward. "I know you like sudoku and word searches. There are also some coloring books."

Anabelle's smile brightened even more at the sight. She pulled Leah into a hug and whispered, "Thanks, Lee." The girls shared a smile before Embry stepped holding, holding a white book.

"So I know you're gonna be here for a little while so I thought it would be great to make you a book for you to read ." Anabelle quirked her eyebrow and hesitantly opened the book. The first picture made her gasp and blush deeply.

"Oh my God, I hate you, Embry!" Anabelle gasped, quickly closing it but not fast enough to steal it from Paul's hands.

"Now before you punch me, it's only a joke," Embry said uneasily. Anabelle gaped at him and took the book back before turning it around for everyone to see.

"You think it's a joke to make a book of just pictures of Jacob's abs!?" The whole pack erupted in laughter. Even Gene. Jacob took the book from his imprint's hands and flipped through the pages and they were indeed filled with pictures of Jacob shirtless. He assumed they were taken before or after patrol considering they were all in the woods.

l

He glared at Embry before smirking and handing the book back to Anabelle, making her gape at him. "You're letting me keep this?"

He shrugged. "Sure why not? It's in good hands." The pack laughed at the deep blush emitting from Anabelle while she scowled and shoved the book in her bag before getting comfortable once again.

"Are y'all done with teasing me now?" Anabelle pouted. The pack laughed but stopped after seeing her face and continued talking with her.

While talking, Jacob noticed Anabelle shiver and try to pull her blanket up more. So he walked towards her and moved her to the side before sliding in beside her. She sent a grateful smile his way and cuddled into his side. Gene noticed but said nothing. He knew his daughter had a crush on Black but didn't want to embarrass her.

She'd never had any interest in boys and was very quiet about who she had a liking to. He knew about her little crush on that Mason kid but knew she grew out of it before he left for basketball camp. He knew about her hanging out with him at the diner but never assumed it was anything besides friendship. But Black was a different story. Every day, the phone rings and Paul answers it, only to give it to Anabelle. And every day it turns out to be Jacob checking in on her which turns into 3 hour-long conversations.

Most dads would be mad and terrified that their little girl was talking to a boy but Gene was rather pleased. He trusted his daughter to make the right decisions and to not do anything she would regret.

The pack suddenly stiffened, alarming Anabelle, who looked at Jacob curiously. "The Doc is here." Was the only thing he said before Dr.Cullen stepped out and walked towards the group. Gene was the first to greet the doctor, considering everyone else knew what he was. Sam held Emily more tightly but didn't show any evidence of intimidation. The same being done by Jacob. Anabelle watched as the doctor and a nurse approached the group.

The pack made a clear path resulting in them moving to the opposite side of the bed. The Dr. didn't seem to mind. Instead, he gave Anabelle a warm smile and shook her father's hand. "Happy to see you here today Miss Lahote. The first thing we are going to do today is prepare an IV on your arm ok?"

Anabelle nodded while the nurse approached her right side. While holding out her hand, Anabelle squeezed Jacob's with her other. She suddenly tensed when she saw the nurse grab a needle from the tray she carried. "Hey," Jacob said, squeezing her hand and facing her towards him. "Breathe ok? In and out." She looked at Jacob while the nurse inserted the needle in her arm.

She inhaled deeply and looked into the dark orbs that belong to Jacob. She felt herself staring at his eyes and drowning in the warmth of them. She couldn't even feel when the nurse taped the IV to her arm. She glanced at it before moving her arm, getting comfortable again.

"Now we are going to put some saline to clear it of any blood ok?" After a nod from Anabelle she continued. "It might feel a little cold." The nurse then injected the saline making Anabelle shiver. Her arm felt cold and like jello.

After getting an IV put in, the doctor proceeded to speak about the procedure and the process to recovery. "I predict surgery will be at least two hours. It is very short because there is only one goal and that is to remove the valve and replace it. Once the surgery is done, Anabelle will be taken to the intensive care unit where she will stay for the majority of her recovery." Anabelle absorbed all the words coming out of the doctor's mouth, trying to assess them.

"I am predicting she will wake up 2 hours after surgery, giving her body a chance to recuperate without any pain. Her surgery is set 30 minutes from now so it is a good time to get comfortable and prepare for the procedure." Dr.Cullen turned towards Anabelle when he said that and gave her a small smile of assurance before turning to leave. "I will see you all once surgery is done." Before he reached the hall however, he turned back towards that group and said, "I almost forgot. I will need a copy of your will to give to my supervisor."

Anabelle's face showed no emotion while she nodded and took out a folding piece of paper from her bag. She handed it to the doctor before looking down at her hands. Everyone was quiet during the exchange, wearing faces of worry.

Seeing Anabelle's face made Jacob remind her, "It's just a precaution, remember? It doesn't mean anyone will have to read it." That gave Anabelle assurance and she took a deep breath in, trying to calm the aggressive nerves.

Once everyone said their goodbyes, only Gene, Paul and Jacob were in the room. Jacob had retreated from his spot on the bed but was still by Anabelle's side and holding her hand. Paul was the first to speak. He grabbed her hand and said, "You're gonna do great Belle. There isn't one person that I know that would be able to do this except you. I know I haven't been the best big brother." Anabelle was about protest before Paul continued. "Don't even try to say that I haven't because it's true. When dad was gone, you cooked dinner, did my laundry, and cleaned the house. I was just living in it." He sighed sadly, his eyes becoming moist with tears

"Everytime I go to work," he said, remembering that his father was present. "I can never forget that you were alone in that house with no one if you weren't at Emily's. I need to spend more time with and I will do that. I promise." There were tears on his cheeks which were wiped away by Anabelle who had tears running down her cheeks as well.

Anabelle embraced Paul in a hug whispering, "I love you Paulie."

"I love you too."

After saying her goodbyes to her brother, Anabelle hugged her father before they both retreated out of the room, leaving just Jacob alone with his imprint. "J?"

Jacob looked up and studied her face. Her cheeks were stained with tears and her eyes were red from crying. Her lip was trembling and her nose was red in color as well. She reached for her bag and opened a smaller pocket before taking out a folded piece of paper.

"This is for you." She sniffled and wiped her eyes, not meeting his gaze. "You can read it when I'm in surgery if you want. It has everything I want to say but might not have a chance." Jacob's heart dropped at her words. "I have more for everyone else but I still don't know if I want to give them out." Jacob grabbed the paper and drew a deep breath. "I just want to make sure you had it… in case of…"

"Stop!" Jacob exclaimed, not able to bear the thought of losing the beautiful girl he had come to love and cherish. Anabelle froze and bowed her head.

"I'm sorry." She whispered. Jacob scolded himself and took her trembling hands in his.

"There's nothing to be sorry about. I'm sorry for snapping. It's just, I don't want to think of that. You're going to be ok. I strongly believe that. You have to as well." Anabelle nodded numbly and hugged him to her chest.

"Just promise you'll read it." She begged.

"I promise."


	19. Love Letters

**A/N Hey guys. Here is another update for y'all. I'm so sorry it's been so long. I have swamped at work at the moment. I try to update as fast as I can for y'all. Anyway, be sure to Favorite and Follow. Reviews are always welcome.**

Chapter 19

Anabelle smiled kindly at the nurses rolling her through the hall until they stopped at the end of it. She positioned herself up, seeing the pack and her father smiling brightly at her and waving. She smiled back and waved when Paul approached and handed her her iPod and earbuds telling her, "Doctor said it helps when listening to music when they put you to sleep. I made a playlist of your favorite songs."

Anabelle grabbed the iPod before smiling and placing the buds in her ears. She was then led to the elevator and brought up to the fifth floor where all the procedures took place. She frowned at the bare walls before playing with her hospital band she got when she was registered.

Two nurses then appeared behind two metal doors that led to the operating room. This made Anabelle tense and close her eyes. A short Indian man then appeared at the head of Anabelle's head making her flinch suddenly.

"Hello Ms. Anabelle, my name is Dr.Mina and I am your anesthesiologist for your procedure. Do you have music to listen to?" Anabelle nodded and pointed to her ear. "That's good. The first thing we need to do is transfer you to this table." He patted a table covered with medical paper on it." After a nod from Anabelle, he felt herself being lifted by a medical team. She shuddered at the cold, hard surface and drew an uneven breath. "So now I want to make sure you're comfortable. Are you comfortable?" Anabelle nodded after moving closer to the pillow behind her head.

"Now I will administer the medicine to make you fall asleep ok?" Anabelle nodded uneasily before the doctor brought a machine over with a blue mask. "Now when I put this over your face I want you to breathe in and out. You will slowly fall asleep as you continue breathing." When the mask covered Anabelle's face, she took deep breaths. In. Out. In. Out. Until she slowly lost consciousness.

Jacob sat on a couch in the first floor hall where the rest of the pack were gathered. It has been an hour and a half since Anabelle's surgery began and he was in utter agony. Leah and Seth left along with Sam, Emily and Jared so they could check in with their families leaving the Lahotes', Jacob, and Embry.

"You doing ok man?" Embry asked, sitting down next to Jacob. He watched as Jacob shook his head solemnly.

"I just want to go see her. I wanna know how she's feeling. If she's dreaming while asleep. Can she hear them? I just... I'm getting antsy." Embry, having no imprint himself, didn't know what Jacob was going through but knew it had to be pretty painful. Having your imprint in the hospital for any reason was not a good position to be in.

"It'll be ok man. You'll see. Have you read the letter yet?" Embry asked motioning to the piece of paper in Jacob's hand. After a shake of a head Embry continued, "You probably should. To give you a piece of mind. She wanted you to read it, right?"

"Yeah but, I'm just scared of what it'll say. She said it has everything she's been wanting to say but didn't have a chance." Embry shrugged before getting up to go to the restroom. "You never know unless you read it." Jacob sighed and grabbed the envelope.

He carefully opened it and grabbed the piece of paper inside before opening it and reading what it said.

**_Dear Jacob,_****_If you are reading this, I am currently in surgery or asleep and recovering. I am writing this because I have been, in no uncertain terms, a chicken. I have been wanting to tell you how I feel for a long time but have not thought of a way to do so._****_But here I am. Telling you in a letter. You could call it a love letter if you must. That's what I like to think this is._****_I guess what I'm trying to say is, since the moment I met you, everytime you were in my presence, I have felt this warmth and security. I don't really understand what that means but I trust myself in believing that I know._****_It means that I'm falling in love with you Jacob Black. I really am. I've known this since the night you came to Emily's soaking wet. When I read to you before you fell asleep. Even when you had problems with Bella hours before, you still made time to ask me about my day and assure me that everything will be alright._****_But the following weeks only furthered my feelings for you._****_At first I thought it was just a silly crush that I had for my brother's hot friend but I realised it was more than that. I feel like I can talk to you about anything that's on my mind. And without a doubt in my mind, I know you will always listen. You brighten my day just by smiling and saying my name. The tiniest thing will make me blush. Like a smile or a wink. Not only do you brighten my day everytime I see you, but you make my life worth living._****_Every single day you drive me to school, I look forward to talking to you. And listening to music. You say the corniest jokes I've ever heard. But yet I still laugh. Even when you've had a shit day on patrol, you still give me a smile everytime you look at me. And I can't help but smile back because it's so infectious._****_I have never been an outspoken person. I've always been a loner with not many friends who sits alone at lunch, engrossed with my homework. But with you and your positive spirit and caring soul, you have taught me to not hide in the shadows or be alone. You teach me how to be myself and help me understand that being happy is far more important than living your life with barriers surrounding it._****_I know all this might sound crazy but I know that in my heart, it's the most logical thing I know._****_Sincerely,_****_Belle_**

Jacob sighed and smiled brightly before wiping his eyes and the tears that were beginning to appear. She was in love with him. Anabelle Lahote was in love with him, Jacob Black. He couldn't believe it. Suddenly pent up with energy, he bounded off the couch and ran towards Embry, who was at the water fountain.

"Woah dude! You ok there?" Embry asked. "What's up?"

"She's in love with me." Embry looked at him in confusion.

"Who's in love with you?"

"Anabelle, you idiot!" Jacob said smacking Embry on the head. "She said so in the letter she wrote me. It's all in here." He handed him the letter.

After reading it over, Embry gaped at Jacob before saying, "Holy shit! Dude! This changes things right?"

"This changes everything!" Jacob exclaimed. "This letter is what I've been waiting for. Paul said not to push her or tell her anything. And look!"

Paul suddenly appeared with a hopeful look on his face making Jacob straighten and looked in his direction. "Hey guys." Paul said. "They're getting ready to bring Belle to her room so they're asking us to set it up. Y'all want to come and help?"

Embry and Jacob both readily agreed and followed Paul up to the 5th floor where the ICU was located. They stopped at two metal doors before Paul pressed a button, emitting a beeping sound. "Hello, who are you here to see?" A raspy voice said through the speaker.

"Hey Janice! It's Paul."

"Oh, hi sweetheart. Let me ring you in." The doors then buzzed, making Embry and Jacob look at Paul in question.

"Yo Paul. How do you know everyone here?" Embry asked. Paul's face then darkened.

"You'd be surprised how much I've been here. And how many people I know here." Jacob and Embry both shared a look before following Paul through the doors.

Jacob frowned when they stopped at a room with a wall of windows leading into the room. There was a TV on the wall and couch in the corner. "Her bags are over there. We need to get her stuff ready when they bring her in." Paul said, opening one of the bags containing her bath products.

Shrugging, Embry and Jacob started to go through Anabelle's things and organize them for when she uses them. After organizing her activity books and things to do during her free time, Paul instructed them to put her clothes in the little closet next to the bathroom.

Everything was running smoothly until they got to the bottom of her suitcase. "Oh look what we have here!" Embry taunted, holding a pair of Anabelle's underwear. "Victoria's secret is no longer a secret." He laughed while Jacob and Paul both growled and Paul snatched the underwear from Embry's hands and put them in a small drawer.

"You're so immature Embry." Paul grounded out while placing the luggage on the floor. "We're done. Dad just texted saying they were bringing her in. We have to leave so they can wheel her in. There's not enough room."

They all filed out of the room and into the waiting area where they were met with Gene and Dr.Cullen. "Hey boys. You get her room ready?"

"Yeah everything is set up. Where's Belle?"

"She's being brought to her room and then my medical team will be connecting her to the necessary machines so that we can monitor her progress while she is waking up." Dr.Cullen said. Suddenly Gene's phone rang making him step away and out to the waiting room outside the ICU.

"And when will that be?" Paul asked.

"Not to worry, she will start gaining consciousness in a few hours. She is just sleeping off the trauma that happened during surgery." After being contacted by a nurse, Carlisle led the Quileute's to Anabelle's room.

Jacob didn't want to see her like that. He remembers seeing his dad like that a few years before he phased. His diabetes was causing him problems and he needed medical attention for a few weeks. All the tubes and iv's that were inserted made him feel sick to his stomach. He could feel the pull coming from her room making his heart ache.

But he couldn't resist for too long. He slowly stepped towards her room, Paul, Gene and Embry already sitting down. Walking through the threshold, Jacob looked at his imprint sleeping in her hospital bed and nearly collapsed.

Anabelle's body lay on the bed, her breathing steady, only the beeping of her heart monitor can be heard. Jacob sat in the chair next to her and grabbed her hand, warming her cold hand with his touch.

Jacob looked over when he heard someone sit down next to him. "So are you going to tell me what's in that letter or what?" Paul asked, keeping his eyes trained on his younger sister.

Jacob grinned and shook his head, looking at his imprint before speaking. "You really want to know?"

Paul rolled his eyes and scoffed. "Of course, idiot. Why would I have asked?" Jacob shook his head and chuckled.

"She said that she's falling in love with me and she has been since the leeches came back. It's just- so surreal. And before you get angry, I didn't tell her anything. I swear. She did this all on her own."

"Don't worry. I believe you." Paul said, shrugging. "I knew she would rack up the courage to tell you. I just didn't know when." Jacob gaped at him.

"You knew she liked me. Or was falling in love with me. And you didn't tell me?"

Paul scoffed. "It's not really in my agenda to tell you whether my sister likes you or not. Plus, you think I like this? She's fourteen. Freshly fourteen."

"That's not the only thing Paul." Jacob said, shaking his head. "There's something else, isn't there?" Paul glanced at him and sighed.

"I've always been protective of Belle, ya know? I made sure she was included during recess. I helped her with her Spanish when she was learning it. I fought anyone who picked on her whether I could take them or not. She's used to being alone and not having many friends. They always found some way to disappoint her. But me? I try to never disappoint her. I kept being a wolf a secret because I didn't want her to see me any different.

I just wanted to be her big brother. Someone she could look up to. I wanted to be the only one she could count on. Our Dad is always traveling for his job and he's never home. I had to basically raise her as best I could. Everyone knows me as the asshole who just thinks about getting with girls. But honestly. The only girl I'm worried about, is the one laying right there on that bed."

Both shifter looked at Anabelle, her hair matted, face pale, and her chest rising at a steady pace. "Well you already know this but I'll say it again." Jacob started looking at Paul with a confident expression. "I love your sister and I will do anything in my power to keep her safe, healthy, and happy. Even if I have to rusk my life doing it."

Both men nodded at each other, a sense of understanding overtaking them both.


	20. The Spark

**A/N Here's another update for y'all. Hope y'all like it and be sure to review!**

Chapter 20

Red, a color powerful enough to cloud someone's mind with rage and anger. Orange, a color so strong, it can spread through a whole forest in the form of fire. Yellow, a color so bright, it is associated with the most powerful thing in the universe, giving every living thing a way to grow and flourish. And finally, white. A color so pure and perfect, no one could ever derail it from its purpose of being successful.

Those were the colors Anabelle saw before fluttering her eyes open. She had been unconscious for a total of 5 hours. Her body felt sore all over and her head felt muddled to where she couldn't think straight. She slowly fluttered her eyes open, the bright light making it somewhat difficult. It took her a few moments for her eyes to adjust before she tried to look around at her surroundings.

"Belle? Hey, you awake?" She nodded numbly to the sound of her brother's voice. Jacob was on the other side of the bed looking at her with a hopeful smile.

"Am I wearing underwear?" She asked, her voice raspy from dehydration. Both boys laughed before Paul shook his head.

"Not at the moment Belle. We'll get you some later." Anabelle nodded and turned towards Jacob, blushing even when under the influence of medication.

"Are you wearing underwear?" Jacob chuckled and nodded.

"Yes, I am. Thank you for asking." Her father and nurse then walked in followed by Dr.Cullen and Dr.Brennan.

"Good to see you awake Ms.Lahote. How are you feeling this evening?"

"I'm ok. Just sore and uncomfortable." She rasped. She then whispered, "I'm not wearing any underwear doctor." Dr.Cullen chuckled, turning towards Julie, Anabelle's day nurse.

"Julie, can you get Ms.Anabelle some Gatorade? She is going to need it for the first few hours." Julie nodded before leaving the room. He then looked towards Anabelle. "All I need you to do is lay down and take it easy, ask for something to drink when you need it, ok? Your vitals are already improving greatly." Anabelle nodded before looking at everyone with a smile.

"You currently have a small tube in your stomach that is draining some fluid that needs to come out so you must be mindful of that." Anabelle nodded, becoming aware of why her stomach felt weird.

Julie soon came back with a Gatorade in hand along with a straw. She moved to sit towards Anabelle, pushing the straw in front of her. Anabelle slowly opened her mouth and took a small sip of the red drink. After writing down a few things, both doctors left, but not before praising how well Anabelle was handling the whole process.

After everyone had left and Julie instructed Paul to help Anabelle drink, Jacob pulled up a chair to Anabelle's left. He grabbed her hand making her turn and give him a small smile. "Hi."

He smiled back. "Hi."

"Thank you for being here. I app- appreciate it." She rasped.

"It was no problem. As long as you're ok, I'm ok." Anabelle smiled laughing airily.

"I probably look like shit." She said gesturing to her face and hair. Jacob looked at her with a loving face and rubbed her knuckles.

"I think you look beautiful." Anabelle blushed and rolled her eyes.

"I'm only going to agree with you because I'm tired and don't want to embarrass myself when I'm on these drugs they pumped in me ok?" Jacob chuckled and nodded his head.

"Ok. Whatever you want." Jacob was about to say something else before looking at his imprint, who was sleeping with her hand in his. He made himself comfortable, still holding on to her hand before falling asleep himself, finally able to relax.

It was 3 o'clock in the morning when Jacob awoke to a whimpering sound coming from his right. He quickly awoke, noting him and Anabelle's hand were still interlocked. He looked over to see her eyes open and an uncomfortable expression on her face.

"Hey, what's wrong? Are you ok?" He asked frantically, moving his chair to better see her. She shook her head slightly, her hand instinctively going to her stomach.

"I'm so- hu- hungry." She muttered realizing she hadn't eaten in over 24 hours. Jacob immediately stood up, hoping to find a nurse to help his imprint. He glanced at Paul on the couch, remembering their father was at home because of limited space.

He slowly walked out of the room and into the brightly lit hallway. "Hello. Can I help you?" A nurse asked. She had blond hair swept up in a ponytail with a pair of dark purple scrubs.

"Hi, I'm just trying to find someone that can help me find some food for Anabelle. Anabelle Lahote." The nurse nodded before walking into the room, Jacob trailing right behind her.

"Hi, Ms. Anabelle. I'm Amber, and I'm your night nurse for the night." The nurse walked to the whiteboard and spelled her name on it before turning to the young girl in bed. "Your list said no solids for right now but I can get you some soup. That ok sweetheart?" Anabelle nodded with a small smile.

"Yes. Thank you." She muttered.

"No problem sweet pea." And with that, Amber walked past Jacob and out towards the hallway. Jacob made quick work to his chair and grabbed the half-full bottle of Gatorade. Anabelle smiled gratefully when he put it in front of her to take a sip.

"How are you feeling?" Jacob asked rubbing soothing circles on Anabelle's knuckles.

"Sore." She sighed. "My body aches and my chest hurts like hell. I haven't eaten in God knows how long so eh...I'm ok." Jacob knew she was downplaying it but said nothing. "And besides, it can only go up from here, right?" Jacob nodded and met her smile. "I probably won't go back to sleep. It took a lot to get comfortable."

Jacob gave her a sad nod. "I can stay up with you if you want." He said.

Anabelle shook her head as quickly as she could. "You need to sleep. I can't imagine that chair being comfortable." Jacob shook it off before helping her take another sip. "Sorry, Paul had to take the whole couch." Jacob shook his head before glancing at Paul laying on the couch with his arms falling off.

"It's no problem, trust me. I can sleep anywhere." They both shared a smile before nurse Amber walked it with a bowl of soup.

"I brought you some chicken broth to start out with honey ok? Then we'll move up to noodles." Anabelle nodded before trying to set herself up. Jacob immediately helped her, guiding her back to an upward position and placing pillows to support it.

He watched as Anabelle slowly but surely sipped on the broth, a look of content plastered on her face. "Either this soup is really good...or I'm just really hungry." Jacob chuckled and sat back down in his chair.

"Do you want to watch some TV while you eat?" He asked, grabbing what he remembered was the remote control.

"Actually, I was wondering if you read my letter?" She asked meekly. "If you didn't that's fine, if you did that's...also fine." She pulled her hands together, only looking at her IV in her wrist, not feeling any discomfort.

"Hey hey hey…" Jacob soothed grabbing one of her colds, shaking hands in his. "I did read the letter. And well, I wanted to wait until you were a little better to tell you how I feel but this is fine too." Anabelle looked at him with uncertainty. "What I'm trying to say is...I feel the same way. I was just too much of a wuss to say anything."

Anabelle looked at him in disbelief. "Really?"

Jacob nodded. "Really. Belle, I like you. Like really like you. I just didn't realize that until I read your letter. How can I not? You're smart, funny, and extremely beautiful." Anabelle blushed a deep crimson and covered her face with her free hand. "And not to mention that you are the bravest girl I have ever met. Over the past 14 years, you have survived the craziest story I have ever heard." He stopped to laugh with her, her little giggles making Jacob's heart soar.

"Yeah, I guess that's true. Who else finds out your older brother is a wolf shapeshifter you were told were just legends at the age of 13?" Jacob chuckled and nodded.

"Yeah, I guess that wasn't on your bucket list." They both shared a smile before Anabelle breathed a deep breath. "And not to mention, that you are the first girl I have ever met that isn't afraid to speak her mind. You literally told Paul that you were going to put a stick up his ass when he took the last muffin because you wanted it." He stopped to laugh with her then continued.

"I did do that, didn't I?"

"Yeah, you did. And I loved it. But all and all, you are such an amazing person with a beautiful heart filled with love. You make my day brighter every time I see you."

"Oh thank God. I have been stressing so much these last few days just trying to wrack up the courage to even write the letter. And hearing you say that it's just. Wow." She continued to blush, playing with Jacob's hand, not meeting his gaze.

Jacob carefully grabbed her chin, making her gaze fixated on him before speaking. "You don't need to stress about this. I can be whatever you want me to be, ok?"

"But what about imprinting?" Anabelle whispered, looking at Jacob with tears pooling in her eyes. She knew it was rare according to the legend but there were already three imprinted couples. She didn't want to be like Leah and have her heart crushed by imprinting magic.

"You don't have to worry about that," Jacob whispered. "I don't want you to worry about that."

"But how could you be so sure?" Anabelle questioned, looking directly into Jacob's eyes.

Jacob didn't know how to answer. He didn't want to spring this on her. Especially when she's in the hospital and would be for some time. He couldn't tell her the truth now. He needed to find a better time for it. "I just know. Will you trust me enough to not worry so much?"

Anabelle was uncertain. How did he know whether or not he'll imprint? How will they go forward from this when they have both admitted feelings for each other. What were they? And what will change for their friendship? "I know you have a lot of things running through your mind so I hope this will help." Jacob started smiling brightly at her. "After you come home from recovering here, will you let me take you out on a date?"

Anabelle's face brightened, her smile growing making Jacob do the same. " Of course I will." She then reached to kiss his cheek before laying back down in bed, breathing a deep breath. "Wow, I'm so happy."

Jacob grinned. "Me too."

"I had to walk through leech-infested hallways to get here and she's not awake? What is this?"

"Shut up Embry! We all know you took a detour to the cafeteria to get a snack on the way up."

"Will both of you shut up!? She needs her rest."

"Sorry, Sam."

Anabelle smiled softly during the pack's exchange. She slowly opened her eyes to meet Jacob's and a slight smile on his face. "They've been pretty bitchy since they got here." He whispered, making her giggle.

The pack all looked at Anabelle with smiles on their faces when they realized she was awake. "Hey, guys." She said softly, waving. They all waved back before Julie walked in with a tray of soup and another Gatorade.

"Hello, Ms.Anabelle. I brought you some more soup, it's chicken noodle." She then placed it on her table before looking at the pack. "You have quite a few visitors this morning."

Anabelle giggled. "Yeah, these are some of Paul's friends." Julie nodded and retreated to the door but quickly turned back.

"Did Amber tell you what this button is for?" She asked pointing to a tiny remote with one little red button. Anabelle shook her head. "Well, in case you need it, you can push it and it will give you more morphine for the pain. Dr.Cullen says these first few days are going to be the hardest so it's here in case you need it."

Anabelle nodded before asking, "Did you get a call from Dad?" Paul's ears perked up from that and he too looked at Julie with interest.

"He said he'll try to make it to lunch." Frowning slightly, Anabelle nodded and started to adjust herself in bed. Consumed by a shot of pain, Anabelle whimpered making Jacob fly out of his chair and wrap his arm around her back.

Once she was settled, Anabelle slowly sank down in her bed before giving the pack a smile. Leah made her way to the chair on the right, smiling slightly when Anabelle started to eat. "Is no one on patrol?"

"Not at the moment. We wanted to come see you." Sam said.

"But what about the redhead?" She asked, making the pack tense and stiffen.

"The treaty still stands but the Cullens all decided that we needed help now that they were back in town. They will patrol on the border of La Push, just not in it." Anabelle smiled.

"See? Y'all are already working together! That's good." The boys groaned and scowled. "Oh grow up! Y'all are more similar than y'all think."

Paul glared at her and spit, "Like how?"

Anabelle glared back at him and rolled her eyes. "Well for starters, y'all are both mythical creatures. Not to mention that y'all share a lot of physical traits. Super speed, super strength, ability to kill each other. And y'all can live forever if the wolves continue to phase. Y'all aren't so different." The boys just scowled and kept quiet.

Anabelle took a bite of some noodles and relished in the taste. "That good huh?" Jacob asked, smirking.

"Yes. Very." Anabelle replied, "but when I get to eat real food, that is when the real fun will begin." Everyone laughed as Anabelle continued eating.

Ten minutes later, after finishing her soup, Anabelle looked at everyone with an awkward smile. "Uh sorry to interrupt but I need to go the bathroom." The pack chuckled making Anabelle continue, "Like now. Go get my nurse." When that was said, Embry and Jared ran out of the room, on the hunt for the nurse.

Julie walked in with a warm smile and said, "I hear someone needs to go to the restroom." The pack chuckled while Anabelle blushed and hid her face. "Do you think you're able to stand? You're less than 24 hours post-op, so you need to take it easy."

"I'll think I'll be able to. I just need some help." The pack moved out of the way while Paul and Jacob each helped Anabelle out of bed, helping her maneuver herself to sit up and pull her legs over.

She was panting when they were done, her body not used to that amount of exertion. "You ok?" Jacob asked, a concerned expression on his face. Anabelle nodded before asking them to continue. The pack watched as she stood up and was led to the bathroom where Julie closed the door, letting the boys know she had it from there.

"How was she last night?" Emily asked, concerned for the young girl.

"She woke up at around three saying she was hungry. The nurse gave her some chicken broth and she had some Gatorade. She couldn't fall back asleep so I just spent time with her, talking."

"Did she ask about the letter?" Embry asked, making everyone look at Jacob curiously.

"What letter?" Seth asked.

"Belle wrote me a letter and gave it to me in case she uh...didn't make it," Jacob said looking uneasily at Paul, who had no idea about last night.

"What did it say?" Leah asked.

"She admitted her feelings for me in it. Saying that she was falling in love with me." Jacob couldn't help but grin while speaking. The pack erupted in congratulations, patting Jacob on the back as well.

"So y'all talked about it last night?" Leash asked.

Jacob nodded. "I told her I was falling in love with her too."

"So she knows about the imprint?" Emily asked, smiling from ear to ear. Jacob frowned and shook his head.

"I didn't want to overwhelm her with it. I'll tell her, just not right now." Emily nodded with a sympathetic smile before the bathroom door opened. Paul and Jacob helped Anabelle to her bed once again, making sure she was comfortable before pulling a warm blanket over her.

The pack stayed for an additional hour before leaving, everyone having somewhere they needed to be. Many light hugs were exchanged with promises of visiting, making Anabelle feel loved and tears almost appearing in her eyes. She was truly grateful for gaining such a loving family in the span of a year.

"Are you sure you don't need to go home? I bet Billy is missing you." Anabelle told Jacob who was doing one of Anabelle's crossword puzzles that she received the day before.

Jacob sighed and nodded his head. "Yeah, I probably should." He got up from his chair and bent down to give Anabelle a kiss on the cheek.

"You might want to take a shower before you come back too." Anabelle giggled when Jacob rolled his eyes and bid Paul goodbye before leaving the room and into the hallway. When he left the hospital, he already wanted to go back to Anabelle but persisted and drove out of the hospital parking lot.

His phone then range. He looked over at the caller ID and groaned when he saw that Bella was calling. He quickly pressed ignore, and continued driving, anxious to get back to his imprint.


	21. Forgetful Fathers

**A/N Here's another chapter for you guys. It was very emotional for me to write but I hope you enjoy and make sure to review.**

Chapter 21

Billy looked up from his newspaper when he heard the front door open and close. He was pleased to see his son walk into the kitchen with a smile on his face. "You look happy," Billy noted.

"I am. Belle is doing good and is eating and drinking well. Everything is looking better than expected." Jacob walked to the fridge, taking out a can of coke before sitting at the table.

"Well, that's good to hear. The gods only know how much that girl has gone through." Jacob nodded sadly.

"I was thinking of going back after I've showered. Maybe pack a bag. I just...well I don't know. I don't want to leave her. You know?" Billy nodded knowingly.

"I understand son. I would too if I was in your situation. I will be fine. Don't worry about me. I could always go to Sue's if you're not here." Jacob nodded and left to take a shower, excited to see his imprint again.

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"What ya working on?" Paul asked, moving to sit in a chair by Anabelle's bed.

"Just some homework," Anabelle said nonchalantly.

"Your 24 hours post-op. You need to rest." Anabelle shook her head feeling a sharp pain in her chest making her head feel fuzzy. She wavered in her posture, making Paul catch her before she fell back on her bed.

"Are you ok, Belle? Do you need to push the button?" Anabelle nodded and grabbed the remote and pushed the red button, injecting more morphine into her system.

"This is gonna be a long week." She said, leaning back and nestling herself into her pillows. Paul gave her a sympathetic look before putting on a movie and leaning back in his chair. Her eyes were starting to droop but she held her tiredness at bay.

"So...were you planning on telling me about Jacob? Or was I supposed to guess?" Anabelle looked at Paul with raised eyebrows, not believing what she just heard. She didn't answer. Only staring at him, a smirk on his face. "Because if you were, I was just wondering when that would be. Ya know, I want enough time to write my big brother's speech and give him a nice ass-kicking."

Anabelle was now blushing deeply, her head tucked into her pillow some more, and her hair flowing all around her. She looked back up at him and muttered, "Well you probably know everything right?"

"I want to hear it from you," Paul said, sitting at the end of the bed, being mindful of her legs. Anabelle took a deep breath before looking at her brother.

"It's kind of hard to explain. We became friends rather quickly. A big contributor being him driving me everywhere. And once we got to know each other better, we just clicked. Always agreeing, never not getting along. I felt that I could tell him anything without any judgment. Then I started to see him differently. It started when the vampires came back. I just felt different every time I saw him. That's why I gave him my letter personally. I wanted to make sure he read it. I needed to tell him how I felt but I knew I couldn't do it face to face."

Hearing this, Paul understood things more clearly. He had noticed that whenever they were at Emily's, Anabelle's mood brightened immensely in Jacob's presence. Every day that Anabelle didn't want to go to school, the mention of Jacob's name would make her jump straight out of bed. Not to mention they're long conversations on the phone. Paul didn't understand imprinting, but he knew it was powerful. He just wishes that Jacob never breaks his sister's heart.

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Jacob was walking up the steps to the hospital when a voice called his name. "Jacob!" He turned to see Bella and her leech walk towards him. Jacob crinkled his nose, the vampire stench invading his nostrils. "Jake, I've been trying to call you all week. What are you doing here?"

"I'm visiting a friend." He said. He caught Edward's eye, a look of sympathy on his face. **_Stop reading my mind, bloodsucker._**

"I can't block it out, Jacob. But I'll try not to read them." Jacob scowled while Bella continued to speak.

"I've been wanting to hang out but you never answer the phone. I call Billy, and he always says you're out." She frowned and tried to move closer to him but he stepped back.

"I've been really busy with the pack lately. And I got a friend in the hospital right now so I should be going." Jacob turned to leave but was stopped by a cold hand. He turned to see Bella, a sad expression on her face.

"Can we make plans to hang out this week? I haven't seen you in forever." Jacob sighed, not wanting to upset her but also tell her that he didn't quite consider her a good friend anymore.

"Look, Bella. You're a good friend of mine but you made your choice to join the leeches and that breaks the treaty. I can't be friends with the enemy." He saw Bella's face fall but ignored it. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have somewhere to be." He then walked off towards the entrance to the hospital, leaving Bella to wonder why Jacob was doing this.

Jacob slowly made his way to the elevator when another voice stopped him. "Jacob?" He internally groaned and rolled his eyes, turning around to see who called him. There stood Reyna, Seth's cousin that came to Harry's funeral. She was holding a bouquet of flowers in one hand and a cup of coffee in the other.

"Hey." He said awkwardly. He didn't quite know this girl but wanted to appear nice. Anabelle seemed to like her until she blatantly flirted with Jacob in front of her.

"I was just coming to see how Anabelle was doing. She helped me at the funeral by telling me about a job opening she heard about. She said she wouldn't be able to work so she told me about it. I now work at the Forks Public Library." Jacob smiled. Another thing he loved about Anabelle. She was selfless and willing to help people if they needed it.

"That was sweet of her. I can bring you up to her room if you want." Reyna nodded and followed Jacob to the intensive care unit. "So you are staying here permanently?" He asked, trying to be nice and start a conversation.

"Yeah. I currently live with my parents and am trying to find enough money to move out. I kinda like it here." She then looked at him with a smirk and continued, "I don't really know what's here. Would you mind showing me around some time?"

Jacob was thrown off by the question. He noticed how Reyna was looking at him, it was exactly how waitresses look at him when he's out. He gently smiled, not wanting to sound mean. "I don't really get out a lot so I would probably be of no help. But I'm sure Seth or Leah could help you. They're your cousins, they would know what you're interested in."

Reyna looked a little dejected but held her composure. "Oh ok yeah, I think I'll ask them. Anyway, is this your first time visiting Anabelle?"

"No actually. I've been here since she was checked in. I slept on the chair next to her. I'm planning on staying until she comes home." He saw how Reyna wore a look of confusion before she spoke.

"So are y'all like together? I noticed at the funeral that y'all were rather close."

"We've actually agreed to go on a date after she recovers. I asked her last night." Reyna looked rather sad but again, held her composure.

"That's great! I'm happy for y'all." They stopped at the doors to the ICU when Jacob pushed the button, alerting the receptionist.

"Hello?"

"Hi, I'm here to see Anabelle Lahote." The door then buzzed and Jacob opened it, leading Reyna to the front desk.

"Hello dear. Back already?" The receptionist asked Jacob. He smiled sweetly before walking to Anabelle's room.

He arrived to find Paul outside the room, a worried expression on his face. "What's wrong?"

Paul sighed deeply, keeping an eye on his sister's room, which was covered by curtains. "Belle had pains in her chest earlier so she shot herself some morphine, but that wasn't enough. She was uncomfortable and couldn't breathe well. The doctors decided to give her a sedative so she can sleep off some of the pain. They said she was trying to do things to fast for her body to handle. They're administrating it right now."

Jacob deflated in his stature, a look of agony filling his face. "So she'll be asleep for a few hours."

Paul nodded gravely, "Probably for the rest of the day." Reyna made her way to Paul, handing him the bouquet of flowers.

"I'll come back tomorrow to see how she's doing, until then here are some flowers to brighten up the place." Paul smiled, touched by the gesture before Reyna turned and left, leaving both Paul and Jacob to stare at the curtain covered windows.

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Paul and Jacob sat quietly, watching Anabelle sleep in her bed. Paul quietly growled. "He should have been here already."

"Maybe he's in traffic. Or he got lost." Jacob said, not really believing himself.

"There's never traffic in Forks. And he's been here a million times, he doesn't get lost." Paul bit back glaring at the door. He then quickly stood up, glaring at his father who then opened the door to come in. "You're late." He spits.

"I know. Right when I was leaving the house, I got a call from one of my partners. There was a problem that he needed to talk to me about." Paul scoffed.

"Yeah, and that was more important than coming to visit Belle, right?" Gene sighed and wiped his face before looking at his son with a condescending look.

"You know I do all this to pay for your sister's medical bills, right? I do all I do for you and your sister. So y'all can have a better life than I did." Paul went to stand in front of his father, Jacob following in case Paul did something irrational.

"You only had a shitty life because your dad didn't even show up to your own birth. Well, guess what dad? You're no better. You never show up to ANY of hers. Just look at her." Gene didn't. He just stared at his son. "Look at her!" When Gene complied Paul continued. "She was raised to believe her birthday wasn't important enough to be celebrated on the day. Instead, she was raised to believe it was normal to push it back a week."

"Ok son. I get it-"

"Do you?" Paul grounded out. "Do you get it? Yeah ok, dad. You give us things that money can buy. Phones, video games, souvenirs in the form of clothes. But let me ask you this? Do you remember when taco day is? It's Tuesday if you didn't. What about pasta day? It's on Friday. Do you know the kind of special detergent I have to buy so Belle doesn't itch when she wears her clothes? Do you know what kind of inhalers she has? What are they called? Do you know that she sleeps with her door closed so she can lead me to believe that she isn't scared of the dark, but she turns on her lamp on her desk? Do you know that we visit mom almost every two weeks so Belle can tell her what great grades she's getting in school? Because our own father never has time to hear it."

"You think you know Dad. But you don't. So stop trying to make me believe you because I won't." And with that, Paul left the room with Jacob following behind him, leaving Gene alone with an unconscious Anabelle.

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Jacob found Paul in the cafeteria eating lunch. He sat down in the chair next to him and waiting for him to finish eating. "You've been waiting a long time to say that, I'm guessing?"

Paul scoffed and chuckled dryly. "You have no idea." He then sighed deeply before looking up at his packmate. "Jacob you have to understand that Belle didn't grow up with a mother figure, much less a father figure. We've always been a team growing up and nothing will change that. But you have to promise me to protect her, whatever the cost."

Jacob nodded. "I will always protect her. With my life. I just want her to be happy."

"But there's something else. I know the whole imprinting thing is strong. I've been in your head, I know. But try to dial it down ok? She's not used to people cornering her and not letting her breathe. So just lean into the protectiveness. Ok? Don't suffocate her." Jacob nodded, understanding. "She hates feeling indifferent. It's one of the things she can't stand."

"I promise. I just want her to be happy." Paul nodded, hoping he was speaking the truth.


	22. Rosalie's Reenforcement

**A/N Here is another chapter. It's a little longer for y'all. The words just poured out so hope y'all enjoy and be sure to review!**

**Chapter 22**

The next two days passed like the first one. Anabelle was adjusting to staying in bed most of the day and only stretching her legs to go to the restroom. She really didn't like not moving so she poured all her energy into her schoolwork. Math is one subject she got through the easiest.

She had only seen her father a total of three times while she's been in the hospital and expected as much. He'd drop by during lunch to say hi and ask her how it was going. It was the same answer every time. 'I'm good. I got some work done and finished a movie. How about you dad?'

He wouldn't even be there for 2 hours before he got a work call he had to go home to answer because he didn't have his computer where his work was located. It upset Anabelle but Paul would always avert her attention to other things. She didn't know what she would do without the support of Paul and Jacob in her corner. The little things they would congratulate on made her feel accomplished and proud. Whether it was walking to the bathroom without help, or sitting up without support, Jacob and Paul would be there, cheering her on.

Now it was day 4 and Anabelle was waiting to be introduced to her physical therapist. She was trembling, suddenly nervous. A warm hand engulfed hers making her look up at Jacob. "Why are you nervous?" He asked, his tone soft and warm.

"What if I'm not where he's expecting me to be? I haven't done that much."

"What are you talking about? You have done so much these last few days. You've improved so much." Jacob exclaimed. " Going to the bathroom by yourself. Sitting straight in your chair and not in bed. You've done more than you know."

Anabelle looked up at him and almost melted at the smile he was giving her. The door then opened and Nurse Julie and a man stepped into her room. "Anabelle, this is your physical therapist, Scott." She gave the man a small smile. He was in black scrubs, his hair styled on his head and his beard scruffy.

"Hello Ms.Lahote, I'll be your physical therapist for your visit this week. Do you think we could try to walk out the door today?" She looked over at Jacob, an encouraging smile on his face. She then looked back at her PT and nodded. Scott instructed her to get out of bed, so they can first go over a few stretches that would be helpful in the days to come, including leg rotations, ankle rotations, and small leg lifts, before getting up and out of bed.

Once Anabelle was standing, Scott instructed her to slowly walk toward him, Julie holding her IV and bringing it with her. "You're doing great, Anabelle, just remember to breathe deeply." She did as instructed and pushed her legs to walk outside the door, and into the brightly lit hallway. Her legs were shaky at first but when she looked up at Jacob with a bright smile on his face, walking with her, she straightened a little and started to walk normally but slowly,his encouragement helped greatly.

"You're doing great Belle. Keep going." She held on to Scott's arms tightly and walked to the end of the hallway. Scott then moved to the side of her, one arm still holding her for support. When Scott moved, he revealed Paul at the end of the hallway, smiling brightly at his younger sister. This gave Anabelle the confidence to continue and walk straight towards her brother.

"You're doing great Belle!" Paul exclaimed wrapping his arms loosely around his sister, ultimately helping her when she staggered in her step.

"I think that's enough for right now," Scott said leading Anabelle back to her room.

"She's doing great," Paul said with a smile. Jacob nodded in agreement but quickly replaced his smile with a look of seriousness.

"What did Sam say?" He asked. This made Paul sigh and rub his forehead with his fingers.

"He will probably need us in the coming days. The redhead has been spotted once again at our borders. She's getting sneaky and going in and out of our borders like she's baiting us. We don't know why she's coming on the res when she wants the leech lover."

"Yeah, that is weird considering Bella hasn't been on the res since I've been here. I'm her only tie to it."

" Well, that may have to change. Sam really wants everyone to be on guard. We will probably have to leave Anabelle for the last few days." Jacob looked at Paul in surprise.

" What?" Paul sighed and hung his head.

"I know. She'll hate it but if she knows it's to protect the tribe then she'll understand. She's strong, Jacob. Give her some credit."

"When who's supposed to protect her? If neither of us are here, who protects Belle?"

"Sam said the vamp doctor is here. He wouldn't let anything happen to her. He's a doctor, and he's not that bad compared to the others." The boys then walked back into the room, the PT was gone and Anabelle was smiling from ear to ear on her bed.

"What's got you in a good mood?" Paul asked sitting on the chair on the left while Jacob sat on the right.

"Scott says I did better than expected and that we'll try to go around the floor after I've had lunch. And I got a robot today!" She clapped her hands together, actually being happy since she's been in the hospital. "Will ya'll play with me when it gets here?" She asked.

"Today, yes. We will play with you but tomorrow maybe not." Paul said, making Anabelle look at him in confusion.

"What do you mean?" She asked. "Are y'all leaving?"

"Not exactly," Jacob interjected. "We just need to patrol some so we will probably not be here as often. But we will try to visit as much as we can."

"If it's for the tribe then yeah, I understand. Whatever y'all need to do, do it. I'm going to be ok right here." She gave them a smile making the boys sigh in relief. "Do y'all need to leave now?"

"No," Paul said looking at Jacob. "We're both yours this evening."

"Great!" Anabelle exclaimed. "You can help me with homework." Paul groaned before grabbing her backpack.

"Look what I have!" Julie sang pushing in a Nintendo game console with a stand holding a TV attached to it.

"Wow! This is the robot you were talking about?" Jacob asked helping Julie push it into the room.

"Yup, Paul, and I play it when I'm here. We're gonna need it if I'm gonna be here for a few more days."

"Well, you're going to have to wait a while, Miss Anabelle. Your occupational therapist is coming after your lunch and then Scott is coming back for another session after that."

Anabelle pouted. "Way to zap the fun out of my afternoon."

"Oh come on! I already have your lunch for you."

Anabelle brightened. "Chicken tenders and fries with a slice of chocolate cake?"

Julie rolled a tray to Anabelle and lifted the lid. "Yup." Anabelle's mouth watered at the sight. Jacob sat with her, his mouth also watering.

"Uh, no sir. Don't you even dare try to steal any of my food." Anabelle said, covering her food from Jacobs's wandering eyes.

"Don't worry Jacob, I got one for you too along with Paul when he gets out of the bathroom." Jacob quickly said thank you before grabbing his tray and sitting in the chair next to his imprint.

Anabelle scoffed. "Like he's still not going to try taking mine when he's done with his food." Jacob stuck his tongue out making Anabelle giggle. She then grabbed the remote, putting on a movie that looked interesting.

"How's Billy?" Anabelle asked. "I hope he doesn't think I'm keeping you here."

"Nah, Dad's cool with it. He likes going to the Clearwaters for dinner instead of takeout. I can't cook to save my life." Anabelle laughed at his expression when Paul came out of the bathroom and started eating with them.

"Dad texted and said he's coming a little after lunch." Anabelle nodded and continued eating her food. She was then alerted that she had a text on her phone.

**Mason: How's it going? They give you a robot yet?"**

Anabelle smiled before answering.

**Anabelle: It's going good, I met my physical therapist, and ate lunch. And yes, I got a robot today.**

"Who's that?" Paul asked, looking at her phone.

"Just Mason checking in." She shrugged. "He's pretty upset he can't visit. He tries to text me as much as he can." Suddenly there was a knock on the door. All three looked up to find Reyna standing at the entrance.

"Hi, Anabelle. Just wanted to come and see how you were doing. I tried coming yesterday but you were asleep " She walked in with a cup of coffee, walking to the foot of Anabelle's bed.

"It's good to see you, Reyna. How's the job going?" She asked, taking a bite of her fries.

"It's going well. I enjoy being surrounded by books all day and I also enjoy the silence while working. How are you doing?"

Anabelle smiled and shrugged. "Better than can be expected. My physical therapist came today and I was able to walk some. My homework is keeping me busy most of the time. I can never be bored really."

Reyne took out a little box from her purse and handed it to Anabelle. "It's a card game I thought you would like. Skip-bo."

"Thanks." Anabelle said, grabbing the box and setting it on her tray.

"Anyway, I just wanted to see how you were doing and drop by to thank you for telling me about the job." Anabelle shrugged.

"It's nothing. I knew I couldn't take it so I thought I would tell someone who could benefit from it. It's the least I could do."

" Well, whatever the case, I'm thankful. I should get going. I'm on my lunch break." After saying goodbye, Reyna left, leaving Paul, Anabelle and Jacob. She was done with her food so Anabelle grabbed her piece of cake and sat back in bed.

"You really like cake, don't you?" Jacob asked, smirking when Anabelle took a bite. Anabelle rolled her eyes.

"Of course I like cake. It's the best thing to be created since sliced bread. So many combinations of flavors, all tasty in their own way." Jacob chuckled before diving into his own cake.

"Miss Anabelle, your occupational therapist is here." Julie said leading a tall brunette into her room along with a tall blond. She felt the boys tense and heard soft growls coming from both of them.

"Hello Anabelle, my name is Kelly and this is Rosalie, she's a med student that will be with me when I'm visiting you ok?" Anabelle softly nodded and pushed her tray away standing up straighter. She noticed that Rosalie's eyes were the same golden color that Edward and Dr.Cullen were which would explain why the boys growled.

"We bought a few games to play if you're up for it. I know how boring it could be to stay in this room all day." Kelly said showing what she was holding. The game Trouble.

"Sounds like fun." Anabelle said, uncovering herself and making sure her gown was closed. She then swung her legs over the edge and slowly picked herself up. She felt Jacob tremble next to her and grabbed his arm, stilling his movements. He looked up at her and softly smiled. "It's ok. Nothing is wrong." she whispered.

He softly nodded, kissing her on the forehead and taking a deep breath, breathing in her scent to distract from the vampire smell. They slowly made their way to Paul, Rosalie and Kelly, the werewolf and vampire softly glaring at each other.

"I will be right back Miss Anabelle. I need to talk with Julie about your schedule. You can play the game without me and get to know Rosalie." Kelly left giving Paul the opportunity to speak.

" What the hell are you doing her leech!?" He asked Rosalie who was sitting across from him and setting up the game.

"Like Kelly said, I'm a nursing student and got assigned to this room. Carlisle wanted me to be here when you guys were out looking for Victoria."

" So this is all for Anabelle?" Jacob asked. Rosalie gave a small smile towards the girl in question.

"Yes. I'm not heartless. We want to help catch Victoria too. If this is what I can do to help then so be it." Anabelle looked at all three uneasily, waiting for the tension to calm down.

"Well it's nice to meet you Rosalie." Anabelle said, holding her hand out. Rosalie gave the young girl a smile before reaching for her hand. Anabelle shivered slightly before taking her hand away and looking at her brother and Jacob.

"Are you guys ok or do you need to step out?" With one last look at Rosalie both boys got up from their chair and left the room to take a breather.

"They are very protective. Are all the dogs like that?" Rosalie asked, rolling her eyes. Anabelle chuckled and shrugged.

"You could say that. Uh...Thank you for being here when my brother or Jacob can't. They won't ever say it but they are grateful." Rosalie smiled at the young girl and shook her head.

"It's no problem." Rosalie decided she liked this girl. When Carlisle told her about one of the wolves sisters being in the hospital, she didn't expect someone who wasn't terrified or prejudiced of her when finding out she was a vampire. "You're not scared of me?" She asked.

"Why would I be?" Anabelle asked. "You don't drink human blood from the color of your eyes. You're in a hospital where blood is everywhere and you're not thirsting after it. Nothing about you tells me to be scared. You actually seem pretty nice." Rosalie looked at her in surprise before she finished setting up the game.

The boy came back when everything was set up and sat on either side of Anabelle. "Are you guys ok to play with us now?" Both boys nodded signaling Anabelle to start. They played for 30 minutes, the tension slowly seeping out of the room.

Playing the game gave Anabelle an opportunity to learn more about Rosalie. Both of the boys let the girls talk, still getting used to a vampire being in their midst. Some time after, the boys left to go eat a second lunch, the stomachs not full enough from one serving earlier in the evening.

When talking with Rosalie, Anabelle learned that there were a total of 7 vampires in the Cullen family. Carlisle and Esme, Edward, Alice and Jasper along with Rosalie and her mate Emmett.

"So you have attended High School more than 20 times?" Anabelle asked once the game was done and put away.

"It's hard to believe but yes. And I have been to university several times. I have degrees in astrophysics, engineering and business. Now I'm studying medicine." Anabelle looked at the vampire in awe. She could not believe anyone could go to that much school, however long they have lived. She was amazed by how intellectually gifted Rosalie actually was.

"Wow. I think I want to go into business if I ever get a chance to be in college." Anabelle said with hope in her voice.

"From what you've told me about school, you can certainly be accepted into the early graduate program if you so choose. What exactly do you want to do with your business degree?"

"I would like to be the owner of my own bakery. After college, I was thinking of going to culinary school. My mother got her culinary degrees in Texas before she moved to Washington."

Rosalie smiled, glad that the young girl had plans for her future in education. "I'm sure you'll do well. You have a bright future ahead of you. Live your life to the fullest young girl. You never know when it can end."

Anabelle watched as Rosalie's face enveloped a look of sorrow and sadness, making Anabelle be cautious of her next question. "How did you become a vampire, Rosalie?" She then quickly said, "You don't have to answer, I was just curious." Rosalie slowly grabbed the girls hand and squeezed it slightly.

"It's ok. I will tell you. It was a long time ago and I have moved on." Anabelle listened with her utmost attention when Rosalie was speaking.

"I was born in 1915 in Rochester, New York. My father worked at a bank and my mother was a housewife. I was raised to use my looks to my advantage and believe that all I needed was a man of wealth and children to fill my heart with. I did certainly believe that at the time. I really did."

"My looks attracted the attention of Royce King II. He had seen me when I visited my father at the bank he worked at. We were engaged soon after a few months of meeting. Our relationship was purely on physical attraction, which was why we were engaged so fast. I am a woman with morals and would not let him touch me before our wedding."

"But it all tragically ended one week before our coming nuptials. I was walking home late from my friends house. I was babysitting their little boy, who I had grown to adore very much. On my way home, I encountered Royce and his friends on the side of the road. They were drunk and thought they could take advantage of a young pretty girl. So they used me for their dark, twisted fantasy's and left me for dead on the street." Anabelle gasped and covered her mouth. She saw how Rosalie's stoic expression turned into a cocky smirk.

"Carlisle found me and turned me into what I am now. I got my revenge on them after the transformation was complete. One by one. Saved Royce for last so he'd know I was coming." She moved her hair away from her face and chuckled softly. "I was a little theatrical back then. But I am forever thankful that Carlisle was there and saved me. Without him, I would never have met my Emmett." Anabelle smiled with the vampire, meeting her brown eyes with Rosalie's golden.

"Well, I am happy you are here. You have nothing to be ashamed of, those men were cruel and we're only made of bad intentions. You have never hurt anyone while being a vampire. That takes strength. Be proud of that." Anabelle explained, her words impacting Rosalie so much. The girls smiled at each other, both of their moods lifting immensely.


	23. Nightmares and Near Kisses

**A/N Here's another chapter for you guys. Be sure to review and tell me what you think! :)**

Chapter 23

**_She felt weak. Her brain muddled and body sore. Everything was dark and she could only see the room from the light in the window. The walls were bare with paint peeling all over. She tried to speak, her throat constricting with the feeling of dehydration amounting greatly. She tried to call out to someone, anyone. But all she was met with was soft wheezing. There was one door at the other side of the room, but her limbs wouldn't move however much she wanted them to._****_She felt scared. Terrified of what would happen if she didn't get out. Her heart racing with every second that passed and she didn't know what was happening. Her body was failing her and she didn't know what to do. There was no longer light coming from the window. There was on longer a door. Just a cold and empty room, consuming her until she couldn't breathe and saw black._**

Anabelle woke up gasping for air and tears in her eyes. She looked around the room, a sense of relief filling her when she realized she was in her hospital room. The curtain was up, making the room darker for everyone to sleep. She couldn't stop the tears from appearing in her eyes. She made soft sniffling sounds causing Jacob to awake.

"Belle? What's wrong?" He asked, his voice husky and deep with sleep. " Why are you crying?" He moved his chair her ways and grabbed her hand. Anabelle sat up and wiped her tears with her other hand. Amber, Anabelle's night nurse then walked in a worried expression on her face.

"Are you ok Anabelle? There was a spike in your heart rate." After noticing her tears she grabbed her other hand and asked, "Did you have a bad dream?" After nodding Amber motioned for Jacob to follow her. "I'm going to show Jacob where he can find the snack and drinks for you ok?" After making sure Anabelle was comfortable, Jacob followed Amber out of the room.

She led him down the hall to where a little kitchen was that connected the two sides of the floor. "Here's where the Gatorades are." She said opening the fridge and taking out a red one." There are also snacks and soup in the cabinet. If she wants some and I'm busy, you can use that microwave and heat it up in a bowl that is also in the cabinet." Jacob nodded before following Amber back to Anabelle's room.

They found her silently reading a book, a light attached to the handle of the bed. Paul was still sleeping on the couch, snoring softly. Jacob slowly sat in his chair and placed the Gatorade on the tray.

"Do you want to talk about it?" He asked softly. Anabelle slowly closed her book and placed it next to her on the bed. "It might help to share what it was about."

Anabelle sighed before speaking. " I've had it before. It comes and goes sometimes. I'm always in a dark room with only light from the window coming through. My body would feel sore and stiff and I can't move in any way. There's a door I always try to reach but I never do. It disappears along with the light, making the darkness consume me before I have a chance to call for help. I started having it the first time I was in the hospital."

"When I'm in here, I feel useless in every way. Having people tend to my every need makes me feel like a burden that doesn't need to be here." Jacob's face fell when hearing those words coming out of his imprint's mouth.

"There is no need to feel like that, Belle. You are loved by so many people who care for you. Just because you are in here doesn't make you useless." Jacob said trying to assure her, grabbing her hand and interlocking their fingers.

"I haven't always had this family Jake," Anabelle said somberly. "Two years ago, I had no friends at school, I couldn't perform in any sports, and my Dad and brother had other things going on. I was going through a tough time and was depressed for most of it. I didn't have any place in the world, nothing to be good at or to be known for. Sometimes it was easy to imagine if I wasn't here at all." Anabelle's voice broke, tears spilling down her face, suddenly overcome with emotion. She quietly sobbed, leaving Jacob feeling heartbroken for the girl in front of him.

"Feeling out of place isn't new for me. Yes, I have friends and family who love me, but what's the use of being with them and loving them when you can't learn to love yourself? I like things about me, but to be honest, I don't love myself. I never have. And I don't know if I ever will." She finished in a broken whisper, letting go of Jacobs's hand to wipe her tears and cover her face.

Jacob, having been slammed with this newfound information was silent. He quickly drew in a breath, angry at himself for not knowing any of Anabelle's internal struggles. "Anabelle, I can't even fathom what you went through, or what you're currently going through. But I will tell you this. I will never ever let you feel like that ever again. I'm going to remind you every day how special you are. How much better my day is when I see you. You are beautiful in every way. Your heart, your soul, your character, everything. You have touched so many people's lives with your kindness."

"You are going to get through this and when you do, there is a cake empire waiting for you to create." Anabelle giggled through her tears making Jacob light up with a smile. "You are not useless. You are not a burden. You are a beautiful, smart, kind, and most of all, brave girl who can do anything you set your mind to."

Anabelle burst with fresh tears of joy when hearing Jacobs's words. She pulled him towards her and embraced him the best she could from the bed. "Thank you." She whispered in his shoulder.

"Anything for you," Jacob replied.

"You have two more days here girlie. How do you feel?" Julie asked, bringing in Anabelle's breakfast.

Anabelle softly smiled, not letting it reach her eyes. "I'm eager to go home. I really want some spaghetti when I get home. And ice cream." Julie chuckled before placing the plate on the tray and taking off the lid, revealing scrambled eggs, bacon and toast. "Don't get me wrong, I like it here but I miss cable." This made both girls laugh before Julie left to tend to some paperwork.

She smiled when Jacob and Paul walked in, both sporting smiles on their faces. "Hey, guys. How was it sleeping in your own bed

"It went well. I was able to eat anything in the fridge without you telling me that I'm going to spoil my dinner." Paul said making Anabelle roll her eyes. "And Dad will be coming during lunch, ok?" After another nod, Anabelle started eating, her stomach begging to be filled with food.

"After breakfast, do you want to take a walk?" Jacob asked, taking a seat in his usual chair.

"That sounds nice. Yeah, we can take a walk."

After finishing up her breakfast, Anabelle got out of bed before fixing her shirt that was wrinkled. She was glad she changed into regular pajamas a few days ago, the gown not feeling comfortable the more she wore it. She stood up and unhooked her IV from her bed, wheeling it to Jacob. He grabbed her hand before leading her out of the room, telling Julie they were going to walk a few rounds.

They walked around the floor before Anabelle stopped and pointed to the room where toys and games were stocked. "Let's go do a puzzle." She said leading Jacob to the room.

They both walked over to the door, opening it to find people already in the room. A girl in pajamas with an IV playing a card game with a guy with blond hair wearing jeans and a blue shirt.

"Mike Newton?" Jacob asked, making the guy look up from his game. The guy in question looked up and widened his eyes.

"Jacob Black?" He asked, getting out of his chair. Both Anabelle and the girl looked at each other in question before Anabelle spoke.

"You two know each other?" Jacob smirked before looking at his imprint.

"Yeah went to see a movie with Bella one time." He then looked at Mike. "What was it? Face punch?" Mike started becoming red before looking back at the girl.

"Well, I'm Anabelle, Jacob is a friend of my brother, Paul who is eating right now. What's your name?" She asked the girl.

"Dani, short for Danielle. I'm Mike's sister. We're playing cards if you want to join us." Dani looked to be about one or two years older than Anabelle. Smiling, Anabelle turned towards Jacob who looked at Mike before nodding his approval.

The four then sat while Mike dealt the cards for SlapJack. "So Anabelle, how many days do you have left?" Dani asked.

"I have two more before going home. What about you?"

"I'm getting discharged after lunch. That is a cool scar by the way." Anabelle instinctively looked down to see her scar that was running down her chest, from her collarbone to below her breasts. It was a little bloody and covered with protective clear medical tape.

"Thanks. I guess I'm going to have to get used to it being there." She gave a small smile making Jacob grab her hand from below the table. They shared a smile before Mike spoke.

"Are y'all together Black?" He asked. "Because I thought you wanted to get with Bella." Anabelle frowned and looked to Jacob for the answer. Jacob glared at Mike before taking a deep breath.

"I was just friends with Bella. Nothing more. And actually yes. Belle and I are actually going on a date when she recovers." Anabelle gave a bright smile when looking at Jacob.

"That's too cute," Dani said. "Sadly, my boyfriend isn't here. Just my brother." She looked at Mike with a boring look making Anabelle giggle and blush and her use at the word 'boyfriend.' She has never had a boyfriend but could get used to the idea of having one.

The four of them continued to play cards before Mike and Dani left to go eat lunch resulting in Anabelle and Jacob leaving soon after. "What did Mike mean when he said you wanted to get with Bella?" Jacob tensed, clearing his throat before speaking.

"Back before I phased, Bella invited me to the movies that her friends were going to go see. Only when I got there, it was just Bella and Mike. So we three only went to see the movie. Halfway through, Mike went to the bathroom because he felt sick. And to be honest, I did have a crush on Bella and that night I did try to tell her that but Mike interrupted making me angry, and later that night, I phased for the first time."

"But you don't still like her right? You wouldn't want to go on a date with me if you did right?" Anabelle asked meekly, walking over to her chair.

"No of course not!" Jacob exclaimed sitting next to her and grabbing her hand, interlocking them. "My feelings for you are true and real. You believe me don't you?" Anabelle looked up at his handsome face, placing her hand on his cheek.

"I believe you. I do. I guess my insecurities are getting to me."

Jacobs's face lit up in a big smile. "There's nothing to be insecure about. I like you and only you." His face was closer now. Anabelle could feel his warm breath on her face and couldn't take her eyes off his brown ones.

"I believe you." She whispered. She saw Jacob lick his lips making her heart rate increase. Their faces mere inches away. She softly nodded, giving him permission to continue.

Right when Anabelle closed her eyes, she heard Paul's voice coming from the door. "Hey Belle, I have your lunch for you." She quickly jumped back from Jacob, him doing the same and standing up and facing the opposite direction. She smiled in Paul's direction when he placed her tray on the table.

"Thank you." She said, looking at Jacob who was now standing on the other end of the room.

"What's with you? You look flushed." Paul noted sitting in the chair Jacob was sitting in not a moment ago.

"I guess it was just from the walk over here." A knock then sounded at the door and revealed Gene standing and holding a white plastic bag. "Hey, daddy!"

"Hey princess! I came just in time for lunch huh?"

"Yeah, seems like it. What's in the bag, dad?"

"Oh, I uh- brought you some of those chips you like from the convenience store." He said, taking out a bag of cheese puffs.

"Thanks, Dad," Anabelle said, grabbing the bag from him before taking a bite of her chicken strip. Gene sat on her bed, a smile adorning his face making Anabelle do the same.

"You excited to be coming home soon princess?" Gene asked. Anabelle nodded before eating one of her fries, telling him how excited she was.

Gene and Anabelle continued to talk while Paul led Jacob outside and into the hall. With a cold, hard glare on his face, Paul spit, "What the hell were yall doing before I came in?"

"What do you mean?" Jacob asked feigning innocence.

"Don't play dumb with me Black. You know I'm just going to see it in the pack mind when we go to the meeting." Jacob sighed and rolled his eyes. He had to learn how to block out everyone. Sam had learned for the sake of Emily. Both she and Sam didn't want anyone to see anything from their intimate moments.

Glaring at Paul, Jacob entered the room, wanting to say bye to Anabelle. "Hey, dad, Jacob and I are going to get more clothes for the next few days and probably pick up something to eat, ok?" Gene nodded checking a text he received on his phone. Paul scoffed before heading outside.

Jacob quickly kissed Anabelle's cheek before waving bye and leaving to go to the meeting.


	24. Unexpected Surprises

Chapter 24

Jacob walked out of his house, having said bye to Billy and walked to the edge of the woods before shedding his clothes. He began to then make himself angry, thinking of not being where Anabelle was and having the redhead on his land. He phases in a snap, his body contracts and forms into his russet-colored wolf.

He was flooded with the thoughts of his pack mates as soon as his phasing was complete.

**_Jared - 'Hey Jake.'_**

**_Embry - 'What's up man, how's Belle?'_**

**_Leah - 'Look who decided to show up.'_**

**_Paul - 'What the hell was that?'_**

Paul's voice boomed making everyone cease their speaking. Jacob winced, arriving at the lumber yard and catching Paul's eye. Everyone was silent, having seen exactly what Paul had seen.

**_Paul - 'You tried to kiss her!?'_****_Sam - 'SILENCE!'_**

Sam shouted, making everyone look towards their alpha in submission.

**_Sam - 'Paul, you knew this would happen eventually so don't act so surprised. He's not doing anything wrong. And Jacob, I suggest you learn to block out your thoughts. I'm sure everyone, including Anabelle, will appreciate it.'_**

He moved to the highest mountain of lumber, commencing the start of the meeting.

**_Sam - 'Now, to start the whole reason we are here. The redhead is still looming around our land so I wanted to make sure everyone knew what their role was. Paul, Emily suggested that you ask your father if Belle can recover more at our house instead of yours when she comes home. Provide more protection for her and, I don't mean any disrespect, but I doubt your father will be of any help._**

Paul nodded in submission, knowing he could make that happen.

**_Sam - 'That is all for right now. This meeting is over. Jared, Embry, go back to your post, I will be here to relieve you in a couple of hours."_**

One they were dismissed, Jacob and Paul ran back to Paul's house and phased back into their human forms before dressing. Paul scowled at his packmate and drew in a deep breath. It was only a matter of time. "Hey, Jake. Are you free on Friday this week?"

"Yeah, I'm free. Why? What's up?"

"Belle has a meeting and tour at the high school. I did all the paperwork with my dad and I'm going to surprise her when she gets out of the hospital."

"She got into the early graduate program?" Jacob asked following Paul into the house and into the kitchen.

"Yup, just like I knew she would. She's too smart for any of the freshman work. She'll fly through it this summer and be ready for the sophomore year."

"Do you think she'll be safe there?" Jacob asked, suddenly scared not having Anabelle close during the day.

"She should be. The leech lover and the rest of the leeches are graduating in May so they should be gone by summer. We'll get the redhead any day now. I would have never entered her if there was danger." Paul was surprised when Jacob didn't glare at the ground or roll his eyes at the mention of the leech lover leaving. He was starting to believe that he was totally over her and thankful his sister wouldn't have to deal with Jacob's pity parties and blindness when it came to Bella.

"Don't you have to turn in an essay explaining why you want to be an early grad?" Paul smiled sheepishly.

"Turns out she had already written it before her surgery. I found it with the letters she wrote to everyone."

Jacob chuckled. "She's always planning ahead."

"Yeah. She sure is."

Anabelle smiled bright when Rosalie walked in holding a small poker case under her arm. "What are you doing with that?"

"I am going to teach you how to play poker. Maybe you can teach your wolf boys some things. Or use your skills against them." She said sitting down and beginning to shuffle a deck of cards. "So...are you excited to be going home tomorrow?"

"Beyond excited. Although I'm not a huge fan of going back to school."

"Well, you have one more week at home before even thinking of school," Rosalie said, taking out some poker chips from the case. "So, tell me. What's up with you and the wolf boy?"

Anabelle blushed and shook her head, her mind filling with images of Jacob. "He asked me out on a date after I got out of here. He said that he really likes me and wants to see where it goes."

"And I take it you want that as well?" Rosalie guessed.

"More than I like to admit." Anabelle chuckled. "I've never met anyone like J. He can brighten my day just by smiling. Not to mention he's been here, with me instead of at home doing whatever he wants to be doing. We do our homework together and he always makes sure that I'm comfortable. He's one of the only people that I can talk to about anything."

Rosalie smiled fondly at the young girl. It brought her back to when she first met Emmett. He was dazzled by Rosalie and thought she was an angel. "After being together for over 75 years, Emmett still makes me feel like the most beautiful girl in the world. You'll have to meet him sometime. I'm sure you would like him."

"It's a date," Anabelle exclaimed, taking the chips Rosalie handed to her. Rosalie then proceeded to teach Anabelle how to play Texas Hold'em.

"Now that you know how to play, let's see if you can beat me. If you win, I'll give you 50 bucks. If I win, I have to dress you for your date, whenever that is."

Anabelle grumbled and shook her head. "You're going to put me in a dress. I just know it."

Rosalie dismissed Anabelle's comment and dealt the first hand. They played for the next 20 minutes, both of them getting close to having all the chips. In the middle of a hand, Rosalie suddenly scrunched her nose and rolled her eyes. "Brother wolf is here with lover wolf." Anabelle giggled before looking towards the door to find Paul and Jacob watching them.

"Playing poker I see," Paul noted.

"Yup and I am all in." Anabelle proclaimed pushing all her chips in the middle of the table.

"There's no way," Rosalie said, raising an eyebrow. Anabelle then raised her eyebrow causing Rosalie to narrow her eyes. "Ok fine. I'm all in." She then did the same and pushed all her chips in the middle as well. "I have three of a kind."

"Ha!" Said Anabellle, smacking her cards on the table. "Full! House! And I'm not talking about the TV show." Both wolves looked at Anabelle in surprise. "Thank you." She said, grabbing a crisp 50 dollar bill out of Rosalie's hand.

"You won fifty?" Jacob asked.

"Yup."

"It was nice playing with you, Anabelle. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to go check in with Kelly." They exchanged goodbyes before Rosalie left and Jacob took her seat. Just when Anabelle was going back into bed, Julie walked into the room with a big smile on her face.

"Hey, Anabelle. I have a surprise for you."

"I love surprises. Hit me with it." Julie walked further into the room to allow a furry creature with four legs to walk in. Anabelle gasped. "Is that a golden retriever?" She asked, the dog trotting straight in her direction. She didn't know what came over her but she moved to the edge of the chair and pulled herself to the ground and pulled the dog towards her, petting it behind the ears.

"Woah my God! Anabelle are you alright!?" Julie said running over to the young girl. Jacob and Paul also became alarmed, stepping closer to be near Anabelle in case something was wrong.

"What do you mean? Of course, I'm alright. Why wouldn't I be?"

"You went to the floor very fast. Are you sure you're alright?"

"I'm sure. I didn't feel anything." She assured Julie, going to let the dog once more. "You are so cute. Yes, you are." She said aimed towards the dog. "Was I not supposed to do that?"

"It just happened rather quickly. But if you say you're fine, I believe you but if you feel any discomfort, tell me ok?" Anabelle nodded before continuing to play with the dog. Julie left then to check up on her other patients.

"I want a dog." She said, looking at the retriever with a loving look.

"Why? You have 7 wolves on the res." Paul scoffed sitting on her bed and turning on the TV.

"Yeah. Seven giant wolves who can't cuddle with me in bed." She said, rolling her eyes.

Paul chuckled and looked slyly at Jacob. "I'm sure SOME wouldn't mind trying to fit." He laughed hotly, Jacob smirked and shook his head while Anabelle blushed.

"Yall are terrible." She said, shaking her head and grabbing a book from a small shelf next to her. She started to read them, trying to pass the time, anticipating for tomorrow to come so she could finally be home.

The next day arrived quickly and Anabelle was bouncing in her seat when breakfast was served. "I'm going home today, I'm going home today." She sang, taking a bite of her eggs. Julie chuckled from the front of the room, writing Anabelle's last schedule on the whiteboard.

"You're scheduled to leave after lunch so around that time, the doctor will come in to take out your IV and draining tube. Scott and Kelly will be coming before lunch to say their goodbyes, ok?" Anabelle nodded, sad to know that today was her last day here.

She turned to see Jacob and her brother appear at the door, shit-eating grins appearing on their faces. "You're going home today." Paul said sitting next to her.

"I know. I'm so excited!" Anabelle squealed. Jacob smiled at his imprint, his mood already lifting as her scent consumed him. He carefully pressed a kiss to her cheek, watching a blush over take her cheeks and neck.

Anabelle finished her breakfast while Paul was explaining where she'll be staying for the next week. "You mean I'm not going home?"

"No, you're going home but 'home' is Emily's for right now. With me patrolling and Dad having work, there's not someone who can help you at home. Emily will be able to help you more than me or Dad can. She can help you get around and shower. Help you dress if you need to. Plus you'll be closer to the pack when you need to be protected." Anabelle nodded, happy that Emily will be there to help her. She was the pack mom, so to speak. She was the one Anabelle went to to seek comfort when she first found out about the wolves. She had a kind heart and beautiful soul.

There was a knock on the door revealing Scott, Kelly and Rosalie. "Just wanted to pop in and say goodbye." Scott said. He gave Anabelle a light hug before handing her a price of paper. " These are the stretches that we've been doing the past week. I advise you to do them before every meal and before you get out of bed. Along with before you go to bed, ok?" After a nod from Anabelle he brought out a breathing machine from a bag. "I also want you to do this as much as you can. You put your mouth over this tube and breath deeply, as deep as you can. This will help you use the full capacity of your lungs. Here, try it."

Anabelle placed the breathing tube in her mouth and took a deep breath. The tab moved in between 2000 and 2500. "That was good but we're aiming for 4000 to 5000. So I need you to do this as much as you can to help those lungs. Ok?" Anabelle nodded, taking the machine from his hands.

Next was Kelly and Rosalie, both sporting bright smiles. "You gonna give me some homework too?" Anabelle asked with a smile.

"Well, we do have some paperwork for you." Rosalie said, handing Anabelle a plastic folder. She slowly took it from the blond and opened it.

She gasped loudly and looked up at Rosalie with a shocked expression. "Are you serious? No way!"

"What is it?" Paul and Jacob both asked, looking over Anabelle's shoulder.

"I'm eligible for a Make-A-Wish!?" She exclaimed, the face lighting up with the biggest smile she had ever seen.


	25. Coming Home

**A/N Hello everyone. Here is another update for you guys. Hope you guys like it and hope everyone is staying safe while Covid is still a threat. Thank you guys for reading and enjoy!**

Chapter 25

"How am I eligible?" Anabelle asked, looking over the folder Rosalie handed to her.

"Your heart condition is considered a critical illness that puts your life in jeopardy. I know that doesn't sound good, but don't let the big words scare you ok?" Kelly explained. "This paperwork is just the start of the process. It includes personal information and detailed medical history."

Anabelle smiled slightly. "Detailed medical history? Have you seen my file?" Jacob smiled, glad that Anabelle was taking this so well.

"This is just one good thing to happen to you. And I can guarantee that more good things will happen." Rosalie encouraged. Anabelle smiled, realizing that the worst was over and there was no other way to go but up. "So now you have something to look forward to. Something to remind you that you are strong and you deserve this."

Tears sprung in Anabelle's eyes at Rosalie's words. "Thank you." She whispered, gladly opening her arms to hug Rosalie. She ignored the cold chill that rushed through her body and hugged her tighter. When the girl separated, Julie entered the room with a soft smile and a tray of food.

"It's time for lunch, Belle." She said softly. Anabelle nodded and looked back at her therapists with a teary smile.

"Thank you, guys." She said, watching as all three filed out of the room. She lifted the tray and began eating while Jacob and Paul started to gather Anabelle's things.

"Before I forget Anabelle, here are some helpful tips on showering when you're at home. I'm sure Emily will be able to follow them easily." Julie handed her a laminated piece of paper with detailed instructions on showering along with pictures to help.

"Thank you, I'm sure Emily will appreciate it." She will eternally be grateful to Emily and Sam. There wasn't another girl at home to help Anabelle so she went to Emily for a lot of things. Instead of awkwardly asking her dad and Paul to go to the store for feminine products, she could now call Emily and ask to take her. Emily was also the only girl when Anabelle found out about the wolves.

Paul's sneaking out to go to patrol did not go unnoticed by Anabelle, and one night, she confronted him. Instead of giving her a clear answer, he brought her to Emily's and asked her to tell Anabelle what was going on. Having already grown up with knowing the legends, it wasn't hard to accept the fact that the legends were true. It fascinated Anabelle, and when Paul came back from patrol, he was surprised to see his sister waiting for him in the wee hours of the night.

She had asked to see him in wolf form, wanting to see for herself the park of her brother he had been hiding away. He hesitantly phased outside of Emily's house, showing Anabelle him in his dark silver form. He had been surprised when Anabelle immediately approached him and ran her hand in his fur. Her words echoing in his brain.

"No matter what form you take, you will always be my brother. You are my family. And I love you."

Smiling at the memory, Anabelle looked at Paul, who was reprimanding Jacob on which things went in what bag and softly smiled, glad that she had a family who loved her. No matter what.

Anabelle smiled lazily when she saw Emily peeking through her room curtain. She slowly stood herself up and stretched, glad that she took that nap after lunch. "Hey girlie! How's it going?" Emily asked, sitting in a nearby chair.

"It's going good, just excited and anxious to go home." The girls shared a smile, the happiness apparent on Anabelle's face.

"Well, it won't be too long now. Sam and your father are filling out the necessary paperwork. I was surprised Gene gave us permission to take you home."

Anabelle chuckled dryly. " That's my dad for you. Wanting to not have distractions in case work comes up." Emily frowned slightly at the words the young girl spoke. She knew the Lahote kids were not on the best of terms with their father and wanted to steer clear of any conflict.

"Well, all of your things are packed. Jacob and Paul took them to the car while you were sleeping. They should be on their way back." Anabelle nodded before grabbing her Gatorade and taking a sip. "I was thinking of having the pack over to welcome you home. Do you have any suggestions for dinner?" She asked, knowing Anabelle had a limited selection of food this past week.

"Spaghetti sounds delicious." Anabelle grinned making Emily laugh. Both girls then looked over at the door when they heard a knock.

Dr.Cullen was standing there, smiling slightly. "Hello there. I'm here to take out your draining tube and IV." Anabelle nodded while Emily stood back away from the vampire, walking to the other side of the bed. Anabelle let Carlisle lay her arm on a tray he brought in and take out her IV. She looked away, not wanting to see any of the blood. After having many IV's through the years, she still couldn't stomach the sight of blood.

She watched as he bandaged her arm with blue medical tape. "Now I am going to need you to open your shirt to take out your tube. You might want to hold onto something. It can feel rather uncomfortable." He suggested. Emily gladly handed the young girl her hand, wanting to help as much as she can. Dr.Cullen gently unbuttoned her shirt at the bottom and took a clip, cutting off the pressure. He gently undid the top and removed the canister holding the access fluid that secreted during surgery. After securing that it would not spill, Carlisle placed it on the tray and gave Anabelle a small smile.

"Your stomach may feel like it's churning but it will only last a minute." Having not ever had this done before, Anabelle squeezed Emily's hand tightly and took deep even breaths. Carlisle quickly pulled the tube from Anabelle's body, her stomach tightened, making her gasp. It was over before she could open her eyes. Carlisle was already dressing it with a giant square bandage.

"Are you feeling alright?" The doctor asked, taking off his gloves and moving the tray out of the way.

"I'm alright, thank you." She softly replied, fiddling with the medical tape on her scar, it slightly peeled from the wearing of this week.

"Would you like me to peel it off? It has done its purpose and isn't protecting anything. Your skin is healed enough." Anabelle nodded before Carlisle gently peeled off the tape giving Anabelle a clear view of her scar. The skin was pink and looked thin, making Anabelle wince at the sight.

"That is all for me right now. I will see you next week for your post-op appointment." After thanking the doctor, Anabelle sat back on the bed, fiddling with her hospital bracelet.

"Hello hello." Gene's voice boomed as he walked through the door. Sam, Jacob, and Paul behind him. "You ready to get out of here princess?" Anabelle nodded eagerly, smiling when Jacob pushed a wheelchair forward.

"Figured you'd rather be escorted to the car." They both shared a smile before Anabelle sat in the chair and started to be pushed by Jacob. When leaving her room, she smiled and waved at Julie, thanking her for everything she did this past week. She leaned back into her chair, content to be going home and starting anew.

Anabelle sat in the backseat of Sam's car, cuddled next to Jacob. Paul was with her father in his car and would be meeting at the Uley house. She was aimlessly drawing circles on his hand when Jacob twitched away. "What? You ticklish?" She asked, looking up at him with a smirk.

"No, your hands are just cold." He shrugged, a small smile peeking out from his hand he was using to cover his mouth. Anabelle rolled her eyes and cuddled into Jacobs's arm further, the rocking of the car lulling her to sleep.

Jacob carefully held a seeping Anabelle in his arms while walking into the Uley residence. He carefully placed her on the couch and covered her with a blanket. "She's been through a lot this past week. She needs her rest." Emily said caressing the young girl's hair. She then walked to the kitchen to prep for dinner, taking out a pot and a package of noodles. "So Jacob, I hear you have a date coming up. What are you thinking of doing?"

Jacob scratched his neck, a look in uncertainty on his face. "I'm not sure, I was thinking of making her dinner and watching a movie. Like what I did for her birthday. Except we'll be alone."

"That sounds wonderful. I'm sure I can get the boys out of the house whatever night you would like."

"Thanks, Emily. How's Thursday?"

"Thursday is perfect." She said, placing the noodles in the boiling water. The front door then opened, Sam and Paul holding bags of Anabelle's things walked slowly through the door, careful to not wake Anabelle.

"Would you take that to the spare room upstairs? And Paul, her dirty clothes can go in the laundry room." Both boys followed instructions, being careful to be quiet.

It didn't help much when Embry, Jared, and Seth came tumbling into the house in just cutoffs, making loud noises. Leah was right behind them, a scowl appeared on her face. The sounds alerted Anabelle, her eyes fluttering open and she slowly got up from the couch.

Jacob glared at his two packmates and quickly grabbed a glass of water for his imprint. He handed it to Anabelle who was rubbing her eyes and slowly making her way to the table. She greedily chugged down the water and smiled at Jacob, taking a seat at the kitchen table. "So, what's the plan for tonight? Who has patrol?" Sam was about to answer when a whimpering howl erupted from outside.

"Another wolf?" Seth questioned.

Jacob and Embry both looked at each other and said, "Quil." The boys quickly ran outside, Sam kissing Emily bye with Jacob and Paul kissing Anabelle on the cheek. She watched as they ran towards the tree line to phase and tend to Quil.

"Hope Quil is doing ok," Emily said, grinding the meat she was cooking. "It's hard phasing for the first time. You remember Embry." Anabelle nodded in agreement. Embry was so scared when he came back from phasing for the first time. He was scared to touch anything and it took 10 minutes to get him to sit down and eat something. She didn't know how Jacob's phasing went considering she was slammed with a stomach bug and flu for two weeks when he did.

It was thirty minutes later when the pack erupted from the door, making Anabelle jump in her place on the couch. She quickly put her book down and slowly stood up, careful with her speed. She found the pack sitting at the dining room table with a smiling Quil talking with Embry. Jacob pulled out a chair for her and grabbed a stool from the island.

"Everything ok?" She whispered to Jacob. He nodded gratefully.

"Yeah, he took it well, better than I did." He kissed her on the forehead and helped her make a plate of food. After the girls made their plates, the boys followed. Anabelle gave a warm smile towards Quil who was looking a little uneasy.

"Hi, Quil. I'm Anabelle, Paul's sister." He gave a warm smile back and a little wave before taking a dip of his water.

"Nice to meet you, Anabelle." They ate in mostly silence. It was only being broken by Quil with any questions he had about being a wolf. There was also some talk about the redheaded vampire but Anabelle mostly tuned it out. It wasn't until Paul nudged her to look in front of her. Her eyes widened at the cake that said, "Early Grad Program," in cursive letters. She widened her eyes and looked at her brother in awe.

"Really?" She asked. "You turned in my essay?" Paul nodded and softly brought himself closer in Anabelle's awaiting arms.

Congratulations erupted from the pack, everyone excited for the younger girl and happy things we're looking up for her. "You have a tour and open house at Forks High on Friday. It's to help when classes start in June. You only have a few weeks of school left so there's nothing to worry about this month. Jacob is going to take you. You are already exempt from school." Anabelle cheered in her seat making the pack laugh. Emily brought a cake knife so it can get cut. The cake was cut and everyone received a slice before moving to the living room.

Anabelle had her head on Jacob's shoulder when he whispered to her. "Are you tired?" She numbly nodded yes, her eyes drooping making her vision obscure. He gently helped her up, telling everyone she was going to take her to bed. She kissed Paul goodnight and carefully walked up the stairs with Jacob behind her. The pack all said goodnight and returned their attention to the movie on the TV.

Jacob helped Anabelle walk up the stairs and led her to the first room. Once there, Anabelle grabbed a pair of pajama pants and walked to the bathroom, closing it when she walked inside. She slowly changed her pants, careful not to overstretch, and left her T-shirt on. She then brushed her teeth and braided her hair in two pigtails. She was surprised to find Jacob still sitting on the bed. She slowly walked over to him and intertwined their fingers.

"I have our date planned." He grinned, his deep brown eyes lighting up in excitement. Anabelle blushed, still not used to the fact that Jacob liked her. She couldn't be happier with the fact he returned his feelings for her. Her stomach did little flips when he smiled at her.

"Oh yeah? What are we doing?" Anabelle asked, smiling back at him in wonder.

He shook his head, laughing lightly. "It's a surprise. But make sure you're free Thursday."

"I'll be here." She assured him with a grin. He kissed her cheek before standing and walking towards the door.

"Goodnight Belle."

"Goodnight J." Jacob closed the door softly before Anabelle climbed into bed and drifted off to sleep.

The next few days went by quickly. Anabelle poured herself into her school work once again. She was grateful that Paul went by her school to collect more worksheets. The last thing she wanted was to be behind when she went back.

Living at Emily's was like living with the pack. When she woke up, they were there eating breakfast. They were there at lunch and even dinner sometimes. She didn't mind though. They were her family, her brothers, and sisters. It has been a happy time for her, considering Jacob was with her most of the time. He had made it his personal mission to do anything in his power to make sure she was at her most comfortable. It was very hard to not be overbearing but he gave her enough space to breathe.

The pack did everything in their power to make sure Anabelle was having fun. Every night, one of the boys would suggest a board game to play whether it be Monopoly, the game of life, or trivia. They had the power to make her laugh even when she wasn't in the best of moods. They continued to make her smile however they could, and she was grateful for them.

Anabelle softly smiled when Emily peeked her head through the door giving her a bright grin. "Good morning." She said softly, entering the room and turning the light on. Anabelle gave her a lazy smile back before getting out of bed and headed to the bathroom. Emily followed her and turned on the shower to a warm setting.

"Are the boys downstairs?" Anabelle asked, slowly reading to take off her shirt. She got stuck when trying to remove it from her head leading Emily to help take it off. She has been doing very well in maintaining her stretches and has been praised by everyone for her accomplishment. She couldn't do everything, but Anabelle was happy with the way her recovery was turning out so far.

"Yes, they got here 10 minutes ago. They're watching TV right now. Sam's trying to tend to them while I'm helping you. Those boys can get very antsy when they don't have full stomachs." Anabelle giggled at Emily's expression.

Once undressed, Anabelle stepped into the shower and began to wash her body with soap, careful to not touch her scar, and not the water hit it directly. Once done she was helped by Emily to wash her hair with shampoo. "You're getting better every day." Emily praised her. Anabelle was now able to wash the ends and sides of her hair, Emily only needing to wash her scalp.

"Sooner or later, I'll be able to do it by myself." Emily smiled, seeing no sense of sarcasm on the young girl's face, but pure joy.

"Lean back for me," Emily said. Anabelle did as told while Emily rinsed put her hair. "So, have you thought about your wish yet?" She asked, grabbing the conditioner from the side of the tub.

"I think I want to go see Buddy Valastro. Or the 'Cake Boss' as everyone says. I've been watching his show since I was little. It's what I want to do when I'm older."

"That sounds like the perfect wish for someone like you." The girls shared a smile before Anabelle leaned back again to rinse her hair. Once done, with the help of Emily, Anabelle dried off and dressed in a pair of skinny jeans and a blue T-shirt. Once done brushing her teeth, Anabelle followed Emily out of the bathroom to brush her hair.

"Emily? Can you put my hair in a braid please?"

"Of course." She replied brushing it out and parting it in three. "It's Thursday. Which means your date is today. Are you excited?"

"Excited and a little nervous. I've never been on a date before."

"I'm sure yall will have a lovely time, whatever it is yall are doing," Emily said, smirking slightly knowing exactly what Jacob had planned. Once done with her hair, Anabelle slipped on some sandals and followed Emily down the stairs and walked into the living room.

"Good morning." She addressed the pack. There was a series of good mornings that followed. She made her way towards the empty seat next to Jacob and gave him a smile.

"Hi." She whispered, blushing when he gave her a wide grin.

He softly kissed her cheek and whispered, "Hi." His day already getting better with her being in his presence.


	26. First Date

**Disclaimer, I don't own anything, just my OC's. Hope you like this chapter and make sure to review.**

Chapter 26

Anabelle was reading in the living room silently when Emily called her name. She placed her bookmark in her book and made her way to the kitchen. "Hey, Belle. Do you want to go to the store? Go out and stretch your legs some?" Anabelle nodded and smiled at Jacob who emerged from the hallway.

"Where are you girls going?" He asked wrapping his arms around Anable in a hug. She blushed and looked shyly at Emily before answering.

"We're going to the store. I need to get out and Emily needs a few things." Jacob gave Emily a grateful smile before smiling back at Anabelle and kissing her cheek.

"Have fun." He whispered, walking into the living room and to the boys. Anabelle gave him a weird look as he retreated. He wasn't usually so distant. She shrugged it off and followed Emily outside to her car.

They journeyed towards the Forks Supermarket, light conversation being spoken all throughout the ride. When they got there, both girls pushed a cart, needing all the room they could get. They piled the carts with food like hamburger buns, patties, cheese, weiners, hot dog buns, noodles, sauce, and ground beef, along with four boxes of soda. As they were walking towards the check out aisle, two familiar people walked alongside them.

"Emily?" A voice asked. Both girls turned to see Bella pushing a cart full of food with Edward by her side.

"Bella. It's nice to see you." Emily smiled, not giving any movement to hug Bella. Anabelle smiled softly, not very comfortable seeing Bella considering Jacob revealed he did like her at one point in the past.

There were a few seconds of uncomfortable silence before Bella spoke. "That's a lot of food you two have there."

Emily chuckled. "The boys do eat a lot. They're always at the house. Not that I mind that much. They bother Belle more than me now." Both girls shared a laugh while the cashier rang up the items.

"Are you staying at Emily's?" Bella asked Anabelle.

"Yeah, my dad has a lot of things going on concerning work so it was easier to stay with Em. It allows me to be closer to the boys."

"And Jacob," Edward added, reading Anabelle's mind of the last few days. Anabelle ducked her head and blushed, remembering that Edward could read minds.

"So you and Jake are together?" Bella asked, an uneasy expression on her face.

"Yeah, we are. We actually have a date tonight. I don't know what we're doing though. He wants to keep it a surprise." Anabelle smiled making Bella look dejected.

Emily called Anabelle over having already checked out all the food and motioned for her to follow. "I'll see y'all some time." She said grabbing hold of the other cart and following Emily out the doors.

"I didn't know they were dating," Bella said, wrapping her arms around herself.

"From what I've read in their minds, they've had an attraction to each other ever since they met. They're very fond of each other." He saw Bella's face turn into a rather angry one before she pushed her cart over to check out.

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Emily pulled into the drive of her house before honking her horn. "Belle, can you stay in here for a second while the boys grab the groceries?"

"Uh sure. You don't want me to help?"

"No, you shouldn't even be lifting heavy things. You just stay here and listen to some music." Emily got out of the car when the pack emerged out of the house. That all grabbed bags from the car and rushed inside, putting groceries away and into the fridge, cabinets or pantry. After making sure the groceries were put up, the pack filed out of the house giving Jacob a side eye as they left.

"Hey Jake, have fun. But not too much fun." Embry said slyly. Jacob rolled his eyes and pushed Embry out of the house where everyone else was.

Anabelle looked through the window and watched as the pack all filed outside. She decided to open the door and get out to see what was going on. "Hey guys! What y'all doing?"

"We were just leaving. We'll see you later Belle." Seth explained leading the pack to the tree line where they disappeared, leaving Anabelle confused. The next one to come out of the house were Sam and Emily.

"What's up with the boys? They left so suddenly." She asked pointing back to where the pack disappeared.

"They probably have plans just like we do." Sam said, pulling Emily to his truck. "And we will be late to those plans if we don't leave so you go on inside the house and we'll see you later Belle." Then the couple immediately hopped into the truck and pulled away from the road leaving Anabelle to stand, shocked.

She tentatively walked inside the house. She was surprised to see the dining room table set up for two, with a vase of roses in the middle. She looked towards the kitchen to see Jacob wearing a button down shirt and jeans, something Anabelle had never seen him in. "What's all this?" She asked, smiling and giving Jacob a hug.

He kissed the top of her head and replied, "This is our date. I know you don't really have the energy to go out and do anything so I thought maybe we could have dinner and go stargaze outside." Anabelle looked at him in awe, feeling very grateful that he thought to do all of this.

"It's perfect. Just let me go up and change, I smell like uncooked meat and bread." After giving Jacob a kiss on the cheek, Anabelle made her way upstairs and to her room she had been staying in. She didn't have much of a selection of clothes to choose from but she ended up finding a blue t-shirt dress with the shoulders cut out. She changed into the dress and put on a pair of silver sandals before walking into the bathroom to do her hair. She pulled half of her hair up and clipped it to the back before putting on a tiny bit of mascara and lipgloss Emily gave her for her birthday.

After deeming herself presentable, Anabelle made her way downstairs where Jacob was placing two plates of food on the table. He immediately looked up and froze in awe. She was incredibly beautiful, stunning and perfect in his eyes. His breath caught in his throat and it took Jacob a minute to compose himself. "You look very beautiful." He said walking up to Anabelle and pulling her towards the table.

"Thank you." She blushed when Jacob pulled her chair out for her. Anabelle giggled at the plate of macaroni , broccoli and sausage on her plate.

"It's practically all I can make." Jacob said sheepishly.

"It's perfect." She said softly, smiling big at Jacob who smiled back just at big. "But I will make dinner next time." Jacob smirked before taking a bite of macaroni.

"So you're saying there will be a second date." Anabelle chuckled and shook her head.

"Let's see how the first one goes." They shared a smile before digging into their food. There was light conversation all throughout dinner with Anabelle and Jacob talking about what they are learning in school.

"So my English teacher is making me write an essay on where my family is from and I don't know what to say except the fact that it's me, Paul and Dad." Anabelle explained, finishing her plate and taking a sip of water.

"Have you ever tried to find more about your mom's family? You could try to contact them."

"I don't know." Anabelle sighed. " When I bring up Mom to my dad, he shuts off and never answers me."

"You know her maiden name, right? And where she's from? You could try looking her up and seeing if anyone is connected to her through the internet." Jacob adviced picking up they're empty plates and setting them in the sink to wash later.

"Yeah that could be a good idea." She stood up from the table when Jacob held out his hand and followed him outside through the back door. Anabelle was amazed to see blankets and pillows spread out on the floor with lights everywhere and a radio on a chair next to them. "J, this is beautiful! Did you do all this?"

"I got some help from the boys when you were out with Emily." He said turning on the radio and grabbing her hand. "Dance with me?" He asked.

Anabelle nodded and placed her hand in his making him pull her close to his body and began to sway to the intro of the song. She blushed at their close proximity to each other and placed her head on his chest with Jacob softly singing in her ear.

**_I can't count the times_**

**_I almost said what's on my mind_**

**_But I didn't_**

**_Just the other day_**

**_I wrote down all the things I'd say_**

**_But I couldn't_**

**_I just couldn't_**

**_Baby I know that you've been wondering_**

**_Mmm, so here goes nothing_**

**_In case you didn't know_**

**_Baby I'm crazy 'bout you_**

**_And I would be lying if I said_**

**_That I could live this life without you_**

**_Even though I don't tell you all the time_**

**_You had my heart a long, long time ago_**

**_In case you didn't know_**

**_The way you look tonight_**

**_That second glass of wine_**

**_That did it, mmm_**

**_There was something 'bout that kiss_**

**_Girl it did me in_**

**_Got me thinking_**

**_I'm thinking_**

**_One of the things that I've been feeling_**

**_Mmm it's time you here 'em_**

**_In case you didn't know_**

**_Baby I'm crazy 'bout you_**

**_And I would be lying if I said_**

**_That I could live this life without you_**

**_Even though I don't tell you all the time_**

**_You had my heart a long, long time ago_**

**_In case you didn't know_**

**_You've got all of me_**

**_I belong to you_**

**_Yeah you're my everything_**

**_In case you didn't know_**

**_I'm crazy 'bout you_**

**_I would be lying if I said_**

**_That I could live this life without you_**

**_Even though I don't tell you all the time_**

**_You had my heart a long, long time ago_**

**_Yeah you had my heart a long, long time ago_**

**_Mmm, in case you didn't know_**

**_No, no in case you didn't know_**

Once the song ended, Jacob pulled Anabelle's face up to his with his hand and looked deep into her dark brown eyes and said, "I am falling in love with you Anabelle Lahote. And I know that must sound crazy because this is only the first date but, it's true. You truly brighten my day with your sense of humor, your infectious smile and your sweet and selfless heart. You might not be perfect in your eyes, but you sure as hell are in mine." Tears pooled in her eyes at Jacobs words making him feel uneasy.

" Why are you crying? Was it something I said? What's wrong?" Anabelle shook her head and smiled up at him.

" These are happy tears, don't worry. It's just that no one has ever done this for me before. I've never been on a date, I've never done any of this. I've always thought my life was just going to be making sure Paul and my dad were happy in life so they could stop worrying about me all the time. Sooner or later they won't need to." Jacob wiped the tears from her eyes, now full of sadness. It was true, her surgery helped Anabelle immensely. But it didn't help 100%. It would just take a few years before anything else needed to be done, whether it be another surgery or transplant.

"But you Jacob, push my worries away. You always know what I'm feeling and try your best to switch the gears in my head in a different direction. I know you know about my anxiety and depression from Paul or even Emily. I know you worry about me and I love that I can come to you and talk to you because I know you will always listen. You say the corniest jokes to be funny, but they never are. And yet I still laugh. I've never felt this way about anyone before. But I'm glad I feel this way about you. And hopefully only with you."

The both stared at each other before Jacob tentatively placed his hand on Anabelle's cheek, enveloping her face in warmth making her revel in it. He slowly moved his face closer to hers, waiting for her to stop him if she wanted. She didn't do such a thing, making him continue and place his lips on hers. Her eyes instinctively closed and she placed her arms around Jacob's waist.

Anabelle was overcome with warmth and heat as her lips connected with Jacob's in a sweet kiss. It was over before she knew it, her eyes were still closed. A blush was all over her face when she opened her eyes. "That was my first kiss." She whispered, seeing Jacob's face still held a smile.

"Mine too. How was it?" He asked, smirking.

She smirked back and replaced her hand on his cheek. "I can't be sure. Maybe we can try again?" Jacob smirked before leaning in to kiss her again. Anabelle savored the kiss and held it out longer making Jacob smile.

"Wow." She whispered.

"Wow yourself." Jacob responded. "Can I ask you a question?"

"You can ask me anything you want. As long as you kiss me every time you see me." She said, gaining more confidence every second she stood in front of Jacob.

He chuckled before asking, "After tonight, will you, Anabelle Lahote, officially be my girlfriend?" The question made Anabelle giggle in her spot.

"Yes, Jacob Black. I will be your girlfriend." Jacob's smile turned into a grin. He grabbed hold of Anabelle's waist and gave her a bear-sized hug making her squeal in surprise. She grabbed hold of his cheek and placed a short kiss on his lips before pulling his hand to sit in the blankets.

"Now, what's this I hear about stargazing?" They both laid down into the blankets, Anabellle hugging herself to Jacob. He put a warm arm around her waist to warm her from the soft breeze that was beginning to form. Jacob then started pointing out different constellations. Anabelle was barely listening though. She was too busy looking at the handsome boy next to her. She ran her eyes over his hair, his eyes and nose, his lips and his jawline. He was perfect in her eyes. She couldn't help but look at his abs that were uncovered by a part of his shirt that rode up when he laid down on the ground.

"Hello?" Jacob asked, waving his hand in Anabelle's face to get her attention.

"Huh?" Jacob chuckled before saying, "I said if you look to your right, you can see the Big Dipper."

" Sorry I was-"

" Too busy staying at me?" Anabelle blushed before hiding her face in a pillow. Jacob laughed before pulling her closer to his chest, rubbing her back in soothing circles. She yawned silently, cuddling herself more into Jacob's chest. Before she knew it, she was drifting off to sleep.


	27. Leaving Belle, Meeting Edward

Chapter 27

Anabelle woke up to loud voices coming from downstairs. She gently fluttered her eyes open, covering them from the sunlight in her window so she was not blinded by them. She then gets out of bed and stretches her arms to the ceiling. She slowly made her way to the bathroom, taking a hot shower before walking back into her room. Seeing as the sun was brightly out today, she decided to dress in a short sleeve coral shirt with a pair of shorts. After putting her hair in a ponytail, she descended the stairs and entered the kitchen.

The whole pack was sitting at the kitchen table. A chorus of Good Mornings erupted making Anabelle smile. "Good morning to you guys too." She stopped in her tracks when she saw an open seat between Jacob and Paul. Having not officially told anyone that her and Jacob were a couple, there was a tense silence surrounding everyone.

Everyone's eyes then went to Jacob when he suddenly stood up and made his way towards Anabelle sweeping her in his arms and placing his lips on hers. Anabelle gasped softly, her body enveloping in Jacob's heat and warmth when their lips connected. She could hear distant cheering but everything was clouded. She smiled into the kiss and blushed deeply when Jacob parted.

She looked towards the pack who were all grinning and clapping, making her hug herself to Jacob's chest in embarrassment. "Wow! Just wow! Who would have thought? Huh." Embry sarcastically stated showing eggs in his mouth.

Jacob led a red faced Anabelle to her seat where Paul was silently seated. Everyone ceased their talking to see Paul's stoic face look intently at his sister's. "Paulie?" Anabelle whispered, hesitantly placing a hand on his arm.

"If he's who you want. Then you should be happy without my interference." The siblings shared a smile before embracing each other in a hug with Paul glaring at Jacob who was smiling at Anabelle.

"But I never want to see that shit ever again. That was nasty as hell." The pack erupted in laughter while Anabelle chuckled nervously.

"I would just like to say that I told Jacob that when he sees me, to kiss me. I just didn't think he'd take it that seriously." She looked at Jacob pointedly who just smirked and winked at his new girlfriend.

Everyone finished their breakfast in the next 30 minutes, light conversation and banter weaved all throughout eating. When it was time for Anabelle and Jacob to leave for her high school meeting, there was a sudden knock at the door. Everyone conveyed a confused expression as Emily walked over to the front door.

"Hello. May I help you?"

"Hello ma'am. My name is Mason and I was told Anabelle Lahote was staying here. I'm one of her friends from school." Anabelle stopped mid bite to look back at the front door, and sure enough Mason was standing on the front porch with a folder in hand.

She quickly stood up from the table and made her way to the door. "Hey Mason. What are you doing here?"

"I found out you got accepted into Early Grad and was wondering if you'd like to go to the meeting with me?" Anabelle glanced behind him and smiled at his mother in the front seat of the car. She then looked back at Jacob who was watching from the table like everyone else.

"I'm sorry Mason, I already have a ride. Plus I have plans after the meeting. But we could meet there and go in together, if you'd like." She said, hoping she didn't hurt his feelings.

"Yeah, that's no problem. I'll see you in a little bit ok?"

"Ok. Yeah, I'll see you later." After watching Mason and his mother leave, Emily and Anabelle walked back to the table where the pack was seated.

"Wow Belle. You passed the test." Embry said, "Congratulations."

"What test?" She asked sitting back down on her chair.

"You just blew off one of your friends, who's a guy, to spend more time with Jake. Most girls won't do that." Everyone nodded in agreement.

"It's not really that difficult to choose between. I had plans with J and I don't want to seem bitchy if I blew him off. What girls do that?"

"High School girls." Quil said, showing a muffin in his mouth.

"Anyway, we should really be going. We'll see you guys later." Jacob said, ending the conversation. He led Anabelle towards the door, grabbing her hand and interlocking their fingers.

"Where's the rabbit?" She asked him.

"We're taking the bike today Missy. And I won't hear no complaining capiche?" Anabelle rolled her eyes before clipping the helmet to her head and getting on the bike behind Jacob.

The two then rode up the road and made the journey to Forks High.

"Wow." Anabelle gasped, looking at the building in front of her. It was rather big in size, being two stories. It spread out along the road and the parking lot was double the size than La Push Middle. "This place is huge." She noticed how people were staring and glancing at her. It was understandable, she was new and it was very evident that she was from the reservation.

She caught sight of Mason next to the front door. He waved her over making her turn towards Jacob. "You go ahead, I need to talk with the bloodsucker about something." He said motioning towards the other end of the parking lot. She saw Edward and Bella making their way towards Jacob. Anabelle nodded before allowing Jacob to give her a kiss. They separated, both smiling before Anabelle walked towards Mason who had a shocked expression on his face.

"What the hell was that? Are y'all dating now?" Anabelle blushed a deep crimson, forgetting Mason was even there.

"Well we both admitted we had feelings for each other when I was in the hospital and had our first date last night. He asked me to be his girlfriend and I said yes." She explained walking into the high school. They found the office quite quickly, smiling at each other before pushing the door open.

Jacob scowled at the smell of vampire, but refrained from growling. "Hey." Bella said, making no move to hug Jacob.

"Charlie said you left town." Jacob stated, not in the mood for pleasantries.

"To visit my mom. I came back in yesterday, went to the store and ran into your girlfriend actually. When did that happen?" There was an edge to Bella's voice that did not go unnoticed by Jacob.

"Frankly I don't understand how that is any of your business, Bells. And I am not here to be questioned about it. What I am here to do is make sure your bloodsucker knows that no one is supposed to cross into our land ever. And that is what happened two nights ago."

"Wait what?" Bella asked, looking between Jacob and Edward. Edward sighed softly making Jacob realize.

"You didn't tell her?"

"Just leave it alone Jacob." Edward said with an edge.

"Leave what alone? What happened?" Bella questioned further.

" Emmett and Paul had a misunderstanding. It's nothing to worry about."

Jacob scoffed and asked, "Listen to yourself. Did you lie to get her out of town too? I mean, she is the one the red head wants."

"Wait, Victoria?" Bella asked. "Alice's vision."

"I was only doing it to protect you." Edward tried telling her.

"By lying to me." She concluded. "Ok we're going to talk about this later," she aimed at Edward and then looked at Jacob. "But you. Why haven't you called me back?"

"I had nothing to say." He shook his head.

"Well I have tons. Hold on." She was stopped by Edward when she tried to walk up to Jacob. "Edward you have to trust me."

"I do trust you. It's just I know the other wolves aren't very fond of you." Edward tried telling her. She ignored him and advanced towards Jacob.

"Look Bella, I know you want to talk but I'm busy. Belle is in her meeting right now. And after, I have to take her back to the Res. I have homework to do and pack duties." He tried telling, getting annoyed.

" Look Jake, I know you're busy but I would really like to spend some time with you. You're my best friend. Look I'm sorry about running off to Italy but you have to understand I needed to. So please, just let me explain." She was rather desperate, that was evident.

Jacob knew that if he said yes, Bella wouldn't bother him as much as she has been. But he couldn't leave Anabelle stranded alone. He was her ride. "If I may Jacob, I can drop off Anabelle at the border to be picked up by whoever is patrolling. If that suits you." Edward intervened, knowing Jacob's protectiveness for his imprint.

Jacob scowled at the vampire and thought of all the possible dangers that could happen if he said yes. "I promise I won't let anything hurt her. You have my word." Edwards said, picking up on Jacob's thoughts. He sighed, "Fine. Just make sure she's safe or I'll rip your head off before you can even blink."

After handing Bella the helmet, the two climbed on the bike and made their way out of the parking lot and onto the highway.

Edward watched them leave before walking inside to search for Anabelle. He picked up on her thoughts in the library and followed her scent there. She had a rather interesting scent. Roses were dominant but there was some of the wolf's aroma as well. He concluded that it was probably because the wolves were always in her company.

He found her in the library with a boy her age he read was Mason. "Anabelle." He said, causing the young girl to jump and turn towards the vampire's voice.

"Oh Edward. Hi, I didn't see you there." She said grabbing one of the biology textbooks. "Do you need one of these books?"

Edward chuckled, "No I am rather educated in biology. I did want to tell you that I will be the one taking you home after your meeting is done." Anabelle glanced at Mason who was looking at the algebra books. Edward allowed her to pull his shirt and lead him to the end of the aisle.

"What do you mean you're taking me home? Where's J?" She questioned.

"Bella wanted to talk with Jacob and explain things. So they left and went to the reservation. Jacob was hesitant about leaving you so I stepped in and said that I would take you to the border and make sure you got home safely." Edward explained. " Unless you wouldn't like me to."

Anbelle shook her head, "No that's fine." Edward noticed that there wasn't any part of the young girl's mind that was frightened by him. He assumed if she knew he was a vampire, she would at least be a little shy and silent. Her thoughts were very different from others he had read. There were many pictures or vivid images instead of strings of thoughts. It was different.

"Are you liking what you see in my head? I imagine it's very boring." Edward looked up to see Anabelle looking right at him with a smirk.

"I'm sorry. That was very rude of me." Anabelle waved him off and tried to carry her books. Edward quickly grabbed her books, seeing as they didn't weigh very much to him.

"It's no worry. I imagine you can't help it. Rosalie has told me about your family when I was in the hospital." She told him, handing him her geography book. "I know that Alice, I think was her name. She can see the future but she can't see the wolves. And Jasper, her mate, can sense emotions. They are rather interesting talents."

" Yes, I suppose they are rather interesting. They help when they are needed." They shared a smile before leaving the library and walking towards the office.

"I see you have your books ready dear. Hello Mr.Cullen." The front desk lady said when the two walked in. "Are you helping Miss Lahote with her books?"

"Yes ma'am. I am to take her home if that is alright? Her ride left suddenly when important matters arose." The older women nodded and handed Anabelle a blue folder with papers in it.

"This folder has all your codes to enter the online classes on your computer at home. If you have all your books then you are done. There is also a calendar included for the summer months so you can know when the school is open for turning in your works. You can go every week or every other week if you like." Anabelle thanked the older lady before following Edward to the parking lot.

"Wow! This is your car?" Anabelle gawked at the car Edward unlocked with his keys.

"Yes. Do you know it?"

"Do I know it?" Anabelle repeated. "I know that it's a Volvo S60R. It looks so expensive." Edward chuckled at the young girl and watched as she slowly sat in the passenger seat, rubbing the leather interior in awe. "Wow."

_This is the most expensive thing I've ever seen._

"Really?" Edward asked.

"I didn't say anything." Anabelle said looking at Edward. " Did you read my mind?"

"Yes, I'm sorry. It's a force of habit with me and my family." He apologized, revving the engine.

" No, it's not a problem. And it's true. The most expensive car I've been in is my dad's Toyota truck. We can't really afford something like this." Edward couldn't help but peek in Anabelle's mind to see what she was playing in her head.

She received her first phone at 13. Her and her brother had to share a computer and there was one TV in their house. It was in the living room. It wasn't that they were poor so to say. But it was harder to afford extra things when there was only one person earning money for the whole household. That was part of the reason the Lahotes' moved from Seattle to La Push. Their father moved where Anabelle's mother was living at the time and moved back after he lost their house.

"So, tell me about yourself Edward. The only thing I know about you is you're Bella's boyfriend."

" I don't really know what to say or what to start with." He answered.

" Ok. How about we play 20 questions?" She asked. Edward looked at her with a confused expression on his face. "You know, you ask someone 20 simple questions to get to know them better. That's what me and J did when we were first starting to get to know each other. Like this, what is your favorite color?"

"I like all colors really, but if I had to choose one, it would be either a forest green or royal blue."

" Those are nice ones. Ok, what is your favorite movie?" Anabelle asked.

" I don't really watch movies or TV. We only have cable for Emmett and Jasper's benefit."

" Ok?" Anabelle said, thinking this was not going very well. " You have to have a favorite book right?"

Edwards' mouth turned up into a smile. " I've read many books and I rather like The Great Gatsby. "

" I like that one as well, although my heart is forever with Harry Potter."

" I've read the first two. I have to say, they are rather interesting. Rowling seems like an imaginative woman." Anabelle chuckled before asking more questions while Edward drove.

When Edward arrived at the border, there was already a wolf present at the border. Anabelle recognized the wolf as Leah. "Thank you for the ride Edward. Please tell Rosalie that I am looking forward to seeing her later this summer." Edward nodded before Anabelle stepped out of the car and onto Leah's back. They quickly made their way to Emily's house, Anabelle anxiously wanting to see Jacob again.


	28. Secrets Revealed

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything except for my OC's. Here is another chapter for y'all. Oh and Happy 1 Year Anniversary to me. It's been exactly 1 year since I uploaded my first chapter!**

Chapter 28

Anabelle slowly got off of Leah's back and walked through the open door of Emily's house. "Where is he?" She asked the pack who were seated at the table eating muffins. No one said a thing until Paul returned from the bathroom.

"They went to his house to put away the bike." He hissed out before hugging his sister. " Are you ok? " Paul scrunched his nose at the smell of vampire but held in his growl.

" I'm ok. He didn't hurt me and he was very nice." Paul was pleased with that answer so he nodded and returned to his seat at the table.

"Do you want a muffin Belle?" Emily asked, taking a new batch to the table.

"Sure. Thank you." She grabbed one of the chocolate chip muffins and took a bite. "I'm going to head to J's." She turned on her heel and walked down the road to Jacob's house. The pack shared similar looks as they saw Anabelle walk out of sight.

Anabelle slowly walked to Jacob's house, thinking over the events of the day. She didn't understand why Jacob would leave her without saying goodbye. She wasn't mad when it happened but on the ride back from the border, she started to think of reasons why he didn't. Did he want her to not know about Bella? Or why she was leaving with him? She mulled over these questions while walking to the garage behind Jacob's house.

She stilled when she realized what she was doing. Maybe she shouldn't just barge in. Jacob and Bella were friends and only friends. They were just wanting to catch up. Right? She certainly didn't want to disturb them and make it look like she was being clingy or overbearing. But then again, Jacob did have feelings for Bella in the past. Maybe this was why she wanted to talk? No that can't be it. She had Edward.

As she made her way to the door of the garage, she heard voices making her still. It was Jacob's. "Imprinting on someone is like, like when you see her, everything changes. All of a sudden it's not gravity holding you to the planet, it's her. Nothing else matters. You would do anything, be anything for her."

" Sounds like you know the feeling." Anabelle heard Bella's voice say." Did he know the feeling? Has he imprinted and not told her. "Have you imprinted on someone?" Bella asked. Anabelle listened intently, wanting to know the answer.

" Yes. I have imprinted." Anabelle stilled suddenly, her feet losing its footing making her crash into the door. Jacob turned around at the sound. Anabelle made herself visible and stared at Jacob with wide eyes.

"You have?" She whispered, her voice barely audible. Jacob quickly tried walking to her but stopped when Anabelle stepped back.

"Belle wait!" He yelled but Anabelle was already walking back to Emily's. Tears formed in the young girl's eyes as she was walking. How could Jacob keep this from her? Who has he imprinted on? Bella? Someone from school? Her thoughts made her stomach tighten. She was glad Emily's house was in sight when she stopped to take her breath.

"Belle?" Jacob's voice sounded behind her. She turned around slowly, wiping her tears as she went. "Please let me explain." He begged.

"What is there to explain Jacob?" He flinched at the use of his full name. " You imprinted. And you didn't tell me. Was all that talk just to lead me to want you?"

" No of course not. Just let me explain-"

" Explain what?!" Anabelle yelled,making the pack follow her voice outside. They filed out of the house and watched as Anabelle made her way slowly towards Jacob. "You imprinted Jacob. On someone else. And while she didn't have you, I did. I let you be my first kiss. I let you be my first boyfriend. I've told you things I've never told anyone." She quietly sobbed in front of him, rendering Jacob speechless.l

Anabelle suddenly turned on her heel, darting inside the house and past the pack. "Belle wait!" Jacob was stopped by the pack.

"Leave her be Jake. She needs time to think." Emily gently said, placing a hand on his arm.

"Why didn't you tell her on your date?" Paul questioned him.

" I didn't think of it at the time. Please Emily, I need to tell her. It will make it all better. Please just let me talk to her." She made a motion for Embry and Jared to let him go. He quickly made his way up the stairs and stopped at her door. He took a deep breath before knocking.

When he was met with silence, he slowly opened the door. Anabelle was sitting on her bed reading a book. When she saw that he was in her room, she slammed her book closed and jumped off her bed. "Wait Belle. Just please listen to me."

"Why should I Jacob?" She asked. "You imprinted. You found the girl you are destined to be with. There's really nothing to talk about. You're going to leave just like Sam did Leah. I'm not mad at you. Just please leave me alone."

"No, you're not hearing me. Just please sit down." She hesitantly let him grab her hand and pulled her to sit on the bed.

"Do you remember the first time we saw each other? Not at the hospital, before Paul charged at me?" Anabelle silently nodded, waiting for Jacob to go on. " What did you feel? In the moment?"

"I don't know." She answered, confused by the question. "I mean, I remember not being able to look at anything but your eyes. Like I was in a trance."

"And did you feel anything at the hospital? When we met and started talking?" He asked.

" I remember feeling warm and safe when you were near. Not like I do with any of the others. It was different." Jacob nodded.

" It was different. Belle, when I first saw you for the first time, everything about you pulled me in. Your beautiful eyes and your long hair. It was like I was a blind man seeing for the first time. Do you know how Sam and Jared talk about imprinting like gravity?" Anabelle nodded, tears present in her eyes. " You, Anabelle Lahote, are my gravity."

Anabelle looked at him with eyes wide. " You mean...I am-"

"My imprint. Yes, you are my imprint." It took a minute to digest what Jacob was saying. She understood now. Why she felt so warm, safe and secure in Jacobs presence. Why he barely left her side and made sure she was comfortable when she was in the hospital. Why when he kissed her, it was so warm and inviting and her mind felt at peace.

But anger started making its way in Anabelle making her stand up quickly. "You imprinted on me and didn't tell me!?" Jacob was about to answer when Anabelle continued. " You've had a month to tell me that I am destined to be with you! But instead, you led me to think this was going to end one way or another. That you would imprint or I would die."

" No! It's not like that!" Jacob insisted.

" Then what's it like J? You figured since I was your imprint, I'd never leave you? You'd keep me in your corner while you're out with other girls? Is that it?"

" No!" Jacob bellowed." That's not it!" Anabelle took a deep breath, trying to compose herself. "Did you know?" She whispered.

"Know what?"

"Did you know I had feelings for you? Did you know about my crush on you? Before the letter." Jacob was silent, his answer evident in his eyes. "You knew I liked you!? You knew I was falling in love with you!?" She took a deep breath, tears falling freely from her face. "You made me look like a fool Jacob. Pining for you when I knew I might never have a chance. Even when I asked you if you would ever imprint, you said no and to not worry about it. Did you think I would be disgusted by it?" Still, Jacob was silent. " What did you want Jacob? What DO you want?"

"I wanted you to fall in love with me for me! Not just because of a damn imprint!" He yelled making Anabelle jump. " I wanted you to tell me you wanted me, not because you had to, but because you wanted to." They were standing very close to one another, breathing in each other's scent. Suddenly Jacob pulled Anabelle forward, cupping her cheek and placing his lips on hers. Warmth erupted all over Anabelle making her gasp. Jacob kissed her slowly, loving how close she was to him. Anabelle made no move to separate. Instead she let him kiss her. Her head felt muddled, making her waver in her spot. Jacob grabbed hold of her waist, helping her to stand.

Anabelle suddenly pulled away, staring down at the floor. "I just need some time." She looked up at him, placing her hand on his cheek. "Just some time, please. To think." Jacob slowly nodded, walking back and separating herself from her.

"I'll give you all the time you need, Belle." He told her, walking towards the door. He left the room, Anabelle then taking a deep breath and sitting down on her bed. She placed her head in her hands, hoping her mind would settle and stop spinning.

It was past dinner time when Anabelle walked out of her room. She slowly walked down the stairs, tiptoeing to the kitchen, taking out some leftovers from the fridge. She yelped when the light turned on suddenly. She turned around to find Paul standing next to the switch. "You scared me." She told him.

"How are you?" He asked sitting down at the island. She sighed and sat down next to him.

After taking a bite of her food she said, "I don't know. I think now that I've had time to think I can go talk to him."

" He's in the living room with the rest of the guys." Paul said pointing to the living room. " Can I just ask that you not go easy on him? Make him work for it." Anabelle snickered.

"Trust me. I won't let him off that easy. I just need to figure out what to do going forward." She sighed. " It will be hard though. I really like him and he really likes me. I just can't get over him not telling me."

After talking with her brother, Anabelle threw her trash away and walked over to the living room. Jacob was sitting down on the couch, watching TV with the rest of the pack. "J, can we talk, please?" She asked him when he spotted her. He immediately jumped up from the floor and nodded. He followed her up the stairs and to her room, sitting down next to her on her bed.

"I've been thinking about why you lied to me..." She started.

"As I said before Belle, I didn't mean-"

"I know." She said. " It was wrong of me to be that mad. I know you were afraid that I would reject you. But I don't understand why you kept it from me for so long. I would never ever reject you."

Jacob sighed, " I guess I was scared. Before I imprinted on you, I was not it's biggest fan. I convinced myself that I would never imprint. That I would be free of anything that could tie me down here. I already didn't want to be a wolf, let alone have a soulmate." Anabelle listened intently, wanting to hear more.

"But you changed everything for me. Every time I see you, every ounce of my being pulls me to you. You are beautiful in every way and don't even try to deny it. You have such a kind heart and an even kinder soul." Tears pooled in Anabelle's eyes as Jacob spoke. " Not only that but you cuss like a damn sailor whenever you want." They both shared a laugh, Anabelle's tears falling freely. Jacob wiped them away, happy to see a bright smile on his imprint's face.

"I guess what I'm trying to say is, I love you." Anabelle's eyes widened. " You don't have to say it back, just know that I do. I love you."

Anabelle suddenly could not speak where she sat. She didn't know what to say. She knew she was falling in love with Jacob but didn't know if she loved him. She didn't want to say it right now. She wanted to tell him when she 100% felt it with everything she had. So instead she placed her hand on his cheek and kissed him softly, pulling herself towards him. Jacob placed his hands on her waist, careful not to reach anywhere below or above where he was now.

They separated a few moments later. "Please don't ever keep secrets from me. It makes me feel unimportant and not worthy of your trust." Jacob's heart broke at her words. He kissed her more forcefully this time making her silently gasp.

"Never. You can ask me anything. I'm yours." Anabelle's heart melted at his words. She hugged him tightly to her body, his warmth calming her nerves and settling her uneasiness. She smiled into his shoulder, happy to be in the arms of her boyfriend.


	29. Intruder Alert

Chapter 29

Anabelle couldn't wipe the smile off her face on the drive back from the doctor the next day. Her weekly check-up went fantastically and she was beyond excited to go to school on Monday. Her mood has been swinging all throughout the day. She had been extremely anxious and couldn't sit down for more than ten minutes at a time.

The only restriction the doctor gave was no gym until the rest of the year, which Anabelle didn't complain about. She also couldn't submerge her scar in water or let direct sunlight hit it. She could shower but not swim for at least 2 weeks.

She smiled when her father pulled up in front of Emily's house. "Ok, princess don't stay up too late. I'll pick you up around 11 tomorrow so we can go get lunch." Anabelle nodded at her father and got out of the car. She hadn't told her father about her and Jacob being together and she was anxious every time she saw him. Having not seen her father often, it was easy to hide her relationship with Jacob. She was grateful that Paul had not said anything to their father because of his distaste for Jacob.

Anabelle was greeted by Emily when she walked through the door of the house. "Hey girlie! How was the appointment?"

"It was good. I can start school on Monday with the exception of not doing PE for the rest of the year. And I can't swim for at least 2 weeks." Emily nodded and walked around to the kitchen, taking out a fresh batch of muffins from the oven. "Where are the boys?"

"They should be here by now. They went to the beach to set up for tonight. They wanted to let you out of the house and thought a bonfire would help." A few moments later, Amabelle heard laughing coming from the door. She turned her head to see the pack pushing each other and racing to reach the door first. She laughed along with them and gave hugs to everyone as they walked in.

After giving Leah a hug, she turned to find Jacob with a big smile on his face. She hugged him tightly, hearing him ask, "How'd the appointment go?"

"It was good. No gym for the rest of the year and I can't go swimming for at least 2 weeks." Jacob nodded in understanding before pulling Anabelle's face to his. He gave her a short kiss emitting hollers from the pack. Anabelle blushed deeply and hid in Jacob's chest while he chuckled in her ear.

"I really regret telling you to kiss me every time you see me." She said.

" No, you don't!" She heard Embry say snootily grinning widely at her. Anabelle rolled her eyes and smacked him over the head.

"Ow! What was that for?" He asked as the pack erupted in laughter.

" For being a pendejo. Now let's go to the beach, I'm hungry." After grabbing her phone from the table and Jacob's hand, leading the pack towards the trail.

They all arrived at the beach in record time, the sun was setting on the beach. They all sat on the logs surrounding a small bonfire on the edge of the beach and forest. After gathering food from the table the pack set up, Anabelle walked over to Leah who was sitting alone on a log.

"Hey, Lee. How's it going?"

"It's going ok. Still trying to get used to being in the pack and around everyone." Anabelle saw Leah's eyes wander to Sam and Emily. There was a heartbroken look to them and Anabelle couldn't help but feel sympathetic for her friend.

"Well, I heard you want to go into nursing now. That you changed your mind about college." Anabelle said, changing the subject.

"Yeah, I don't see myself going into teaching anymore. Bunch of meddling dumb brats running around? No thanks." Anabelle laughed at Leah's tone, lifting Leah's spirits.

"I'm sure you'll do a great job. And if not, we can escape to France." Anabelle's words emitted a laugh from Leah.

" I'll be sure to take you up on that offer if I need to." Leah laughed. "So I hear you forgave Jacob."

Anabelle sighed. "Yeah. I understand why he kept it from me. He wanted me to love him for who he was and not the imprint. And he was scared I wouldn't accept him. But if I'm being honest, I would want him without it. He makes me happy."

"Sounds to me that he went about it the right way?" Leah asked.

"Yeah, I guess he did. I would be too overwhelmed if he had told me before surgery. I'm just happy there are no more secrets between us." Anabelle continued talking and eating with Leah until she finished her plate. After throwing it away she walked towards Paul sitting across the bonfire.

"Hey, Paulie. How was patrol?"

"It was uneventful. There was no sign of the redhead which is good. I'm just glad I don't have to patrol and spend some quality time with my little sister." Paul laughed and wrapped his arm around Anabelle's shoulders making her roll her eyes.

She placed her head on his shoulder and sighed happily. "I'm just really happy everything can get back to normal. Except for the whole vampire thing." Paul chuckled and hugged her to him.

"I'm happy too, Belle. One of these days, we're going to move somewhere far away from here. Someone with no leeches or leech lovers. We deserve a break from everything."

"That sounds nice. But we are bringing Jacob right?" Paul growled in annoyance.

"Sure. Black can come." The siblings talked a while longer, catching up with each other about their week. Anabelle was all smiles when talking about her excitement for the summer. Paul laughed at her excitement, happy to see his sister having the life she deserved.

"I think your little boyfriend wants you." Paul scoffed in the direction of Jacob. Anabelle turned to find Jacob talking with an animated Seth and glancing at her every time he could.

Anabelle blushed before standing and walking towards Jacob. She squealed when she swept up in a hug and wrapped her arms around Jacob's neck. "Was I interrupting something?"

"No, it's fine Belle. I should go." Seth stammered, walking off the Embry and Quil. Jacob chuckled making Anabelle look up at him.

"Are you sure I wasn't interrupting anything?" She questioned.

" Nah, the kid's just wanting tips on how to patrol better. He's wasting energy going fast when he should be sitting and listening." Jacob said. " So are you ready for school?

" Ready as I'll ever be. I guess it's good that I only have to worry about tests. Plus there's only a few more weeks left of middle school, and I'll have all the time in the world to get freshman year done." Jacob interlocked his hand with Anabelle's and smiled when she blushed a deep crimson.

"I like when you blush." Jacob whispered, taking his free hand and caressing her cheek.

"That's because you smile at me like I'm the prettiest thing in the world." Anabelle whispered back.

" That's because you are." He answered, placing a kiss on her lips. He held her by the waist, Anabelle feeling consumed by the heat of Jacob's body. She wrapped her arms around his waist and kissed back, loving every second of it.

When they parted they sat down on the nearest log, their arms wrapped around each other. "So I've been thinking about our second date." Jacob stated.

" Oh? I wasn't aware we were having one?" Anabelle giggled at the mock glare Jacob threw her way. "I'm just kidding. What were you thinking?"

~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•

The next morning, Jacob woke up to his phone ringing. He groggily grabbed it, answering it without looking at the caller ID. "Hello?"

"Hey Jacob, it's Sam. Did I wake you up?"

"Nah, what's up?"

" I got a call from the vampire doctor. Apparently a vamp was at the Swan's last night and kept Charlie alive, they didn't kill him. They think it's not just any rogue since Charlie wasn't harmed. Do you think you could swing down there to check it out? Catch the scent?" Jacob stood up from the bed, grabbing a shirt that was laying on his desk chair.

"Yeah sure I'll be there in a bit." He ended the call short after, phasing and running across the border and towards the Swan house. He found Edward and Bella outside, on the porch, hugging each other. To Jacob's pleasure, he didn't feel jealous. He didn't feel like it was him that was supposed to be where Edward was now. He phased back in human form and dressed in his t-shirt and shorts.

"You can go to her room. The scent is more potent." Edward said. Jacob nodded and walked up the porch steps and into the house.

A few minutes later, Jacob walked back out. "Whoever it was, left their stink behind. It'll be hard to miss once we cross it again."

" Thank you Jacob. For helping with Victoria and this new intruder." Edward said.

" It's not for you, trust me. I have a family and imprint 30 minutes away. I'm doing it for them." Edward nodded before turning to leave, grabbing Bella's hand.

After one last look towards the couple, Jacob ran into the forest and phased before howling for the rest of the pack. They met in a dense part of the forest. Everyone arrived in around five minutes.

**Did you get the scent? -Sam**

**Yeah. -Jacob**

Jacob then remembered the smell of the scent, transferring it to his brothers and Leah.

**Wow, that stuff is weird. - Jared**

**It smells like someone lit a candy store on fire. - Seth.**

**Now that we have the scent, make sure to look out for it on your runs. That's all for right now. Y'all can go back to y'all's post. - Sam**

After the meeting was over, Jacob ran in the direction of Emily's with Sam and Paul. He found Anabelle sitting in a chair on the porch reading a book. Anabelle looked up when a giant shadow casted over her, obstructing her ability to read. She looked up at Jacob with a smile, standing up and giving him a hug. "What was that meeting about? Sam and Paul left rather suddenly."

Jacob drew in a deep breath, hoping that he wouldn't scare her too much. "There was a vampire at Bella's house last night. And it wasn't a Cullen. I went over to catch it's scent for when and if they come back."

" There's another vampire?" Anabelle asked, her voice wavering in fear.

"Yes. Now there is that one and the redhead." He placed both hands on her cheeks softly, making her look into his deep brown eyes. "But I don't want you to worry. No leech will ever go near you ok?" She nodded softly before he placed his lips on hers in a short, sweet kiss.

They parted before Jacob kissed her again, catching her bottom lip between his. She smiled up at him with a blush spreading across both her cheeks. "So, are we still on for our movie date?

" Well, there's actually a council meeting next week Friday. So what about after, we go up to the cliffs? Instead of a movie. A little birdie told me you've never been. "

" Oh yeah? " She asked." Well did the little birdie also tell you that the reason I've never been is because I'm scared of heights? "

" The little birdie never mentioned that. " He laughed. " We won't go if you don't want to. "

"Nah, it's fine. I have to face my fears one day." She shrugged.

" So it's a date?"

" It's a date, J."

~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•

The next week went by fast with Anabelle adjusting to school well. She was able to turn in all her assignments and take the tests she missed throughout the week. It was nice having a routine to follow throughout the day. She was happy that her teachers were lenient when giving out tests. She had the whole week to review the material so she could take her tests on Friday.

The only downside in Anabelle's mind was the way people were looking at her funny when she returned. There had been rumors swirling the middle school halls, none of them being close to the actual truth. From someone in her family dying to her being pregnant, Anabelle was subject to be a talking point all throughout school.

It wasn't until she wore a low cut v- neck that everyone was able to see her scar down her chest. She had been extremely nervous to show it considering it wasn't hard to miss. Emily and Paul had to convince her that everyone was going to see it at some point.

Now it was Friday morning and Anabelle was in a very happy mood. Tonight was her second date with Jacob along with a council meeting where the elders told everyone the histories. She had heard them a few times before, the first time being when she first moved to La Push when she was 8 years old. After her mother died, the Lahotes moved into their grandparents' old house that was left to their father.

Anabelle walked down the stairs to find Emily going over a piece of paper in her hand. "Hey Em. What are you doing?"

"Going over my check list for tonight. I have to make sure I have enough food for everyone." She placed a plate of food on the table in front of Anabelle, making her smile in thanks.

"Where is everyone?" Anabelle asked.

"They are all at home. I sent them away so I could prepare dinner in peace. I don't need them eating everything I cook."

" And what about Jake?"

" He should be here any minute." A moment later, the door opened, revealing Jacob wearing cutoff shorts and dark green t-shirt.

"You ready to go?" He asked. Anabelle nodded and followed. The couple left hand in hand out of the house and towards Jacob's Rabbit. Anabelle yelped when Jacob twirled her towards him and held her waist against the car. "I forgot to do this." He then kissed her, making Anabelle close her eyes and wrap her arms around his middle. Anabelle couldn't help but smile into the kiss.

"So, how's our second date planning going?" Anabelle asked pulling away from Jacob and walking to the passenger side of the car.

"It's all planned. A little before the bonfire ends, I'll go up to the cliffs and set up a little picnic for us. Then I can explain the constellations to you again since apparently you weren't listening the first time."

" It's not my fault there was a much better view next to me." She said slyly, blushing when she caught his eye. He chuckled at her comment before kissing her hand and looking back at the road ahead.


	30. Bonfires and Bella's Back

Chapter 30

~Ring~ ~Ring~ ~Ring~

Jacob set his pencil down and grabbed his phone off the table and answered the call. "Hello?"

"Hey Jake, it's me."

"Um...hey Bells. What's up?" He asked.

"Well I was wondering if I could go over for some time tonight. The Cullen's are going hunting and Edward wants to make sure I'm safe. I know you wouldn't let anything happen to me so I suggested you."

" Well...I have homework to do Bells. And plans later tonight."

" I swear I won't be a bother Jake. I promise." Jacob stayed silent, debating his answer.

" Great." He heard Bella's voice. "Meet me and Edward at the border in ten minutes."

The line went dead before Jacob could think. He angrily growled and tossed his phone on the table, annoyed with Bella's imposing nature. He went ahead and grabbed his car keys, and walked out the door and into his car.

He arrived at the border in ten minutes to find Bella and Edward standing at the front of the car, embraced in each other's arms. He stepped out of the car and slammed the door, alerting the couple. They exchanged a few words before Bella walked over to Jacob.

"Hey Jake." She said, giving him a hug around the waist. Jacob quickly hugged her back and separated himself from her. Edward got in his Volvo and sped away, leaving Bella and Jacob.

"So what do you want to do today? Bike? Hike? But I have a party tonight." He told her before getting in the front seat of his Rabbit.

Anabelle grabbed her backpack off the floor and readily left the band hall when the last bell rang for the day. She was way too anxious to pay attention to anything her director was saying about the spring concert. The theme was superheroes and they were doing a rendition of various superhero themes, including, Superman, Batman and the Avengers.

"Hey Belle!" She turned around to see Mason running to her from the football field. He was in his uniform, helmet in hand.

"Hey Mase. Shouldn't you be at practice?"

"Nah, coach won't notice I'm gone. I wanted to ask you something. Do you have plans next weekend? There's a midnight showing of Star Wars at the drive-in Saturday night."

Anabelle stood awkwardly, watching Mason's face light up in a smile. "You know Mason. This sounds like you're asking me on a date...and if you must know I have a boyfriend."

Mason quickly retracted his statement. "No. No. No. Not like that. I actually wanted to get to know your little boyfriend a little more. It's a double date. I asked Macy before lunch today."

" Oh." Anabelle said. She didn't realise Mason liked anyone. Granted, she had only been back to school for a week. "Well that sounds like a good idea. I'm sure Paul wouldn't mind Jacob borrowing the truck. We can pick you and Macy up if you want."

" That sounds like a plan knowing none of us can drive yet. How about you pick me and Macy up at around 11 on Saturday? So we can make sure to stock up on snacks?"

" Sure. I'm seeing Jacob tonight so I'll relay the information to him." She then heard the noise of a truck headed towards them. She turned around to see Sam's truck driving into the parking lot.

Anabelle looked at the truck in confusion when she saw that it was Emily driving. "Hey Em. What are you doing here?"

"Jacob called and said he was busy at the moment. So I came to get you and take you home. We have quite a bit of work to do before the council meeting." Anabelle nodded and turned to Mason, promising to update him when she saw Jacob. She didn't know why he didn't call or text her but shrugged it off.

She said her goodbyes and followed Emily back to the truck, hopping into the passenger seat and snapping her seatbelt on.

~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•

Billy rolled into the house, waving bye to Old Quil before turning into the living room. He was surprised to see Bella sitting on the couch surfing through the channels on the TV. "Hi Billy."

"Hello Bella. What brings you here?" He asked.

"The Cullen's are busy tonight. So I thought I would hang out with Jake." She answered, emphasising the word 'busy,' wanting to not flat out say the Cullen's were hunting.

"Well I guess it is good that you are here. We have a council meeting tonight and I'm telling the histories. I do feel it is rather imminent that you hear them." He told her, wheeling himself to the kitchen once Bella nodded her agreement.

He found Jacob in the kitchen making himself a sandwich. "Hey son. I see Bella's here. Are you two talking again?"

"I don't know Dad. She's only here because the Vamps are hunting." He shuddered, imagining any of the vampires hunting for blood.

"Well I guess that's a good thing. I invited her to the council meeting tonight. She's a big part of this and it would be nice for her to know what we are fighting."

"This is going to be awkward. I know Belle doesn't like her that much. I already called Emily to pick her up from school so she knows something is up."

Billy sighed. He knew both girls were two very different characters and that Bella had not made a good impression on his son's imprint. Anabelle was a kind hearted soul with a fiery personality and Bella was very bookish and quiet. "I'm sure nothing bad will happen. Belle knows you two are friends. Maybe they could also become friends."

Jacob sighed. " Not likely."

~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•

Anabelle helped Emily load the truck with all the food that would be served tonight. She was glad to be of help while Sam was on patrol. She still had not heard from Jacob and was a little worried about his whereabouts. She didn't bother asking any of the boys about wherever he had been today. She didn't want to seem clingy so she didn't let it bother her.

"Coming through!" She heard a voice from behind her, she turned around to see Jared, Embry, and Quil carrying lawn chairs and walking towards where the bonfire would be taking place. She moved out of the way and walked over to Paul laying down the fire wood.

"Hey Belle? Could you get me the lighter from my bag?" Paul asked, pointing to his tool bag. She reached into the smallest pocket and pulled out a little lime green lighter. She tossed it to him before seeing some of the elders walk down the patch to the fire. She walked up to them, a smile lighting their face.

"Hi Sue, Billy, Quil. How are y'all this evening?"

"We're quiet lovely dear. How is school going?" Sue asked.

" Nothing to tell really. I'm getting ready for my spring band concert the week school ends. I'm happy to say I'm very proud of my work." She confidently stated with a bright smile.

"I love the energy little one." Old Quil praised. "I do hope an invitation is extended to us."

" Absolutely. The last Thursday of school at 3:45 in the gym." She told them, happy to share something important with the family she gained last year.

Anabelle continued to talk with Sue and Old Quil, talking with them about which stories would be told tonight. They both asked her how recovery went, interested in how she was holding up. She assured them that she was doing wonderful and was happy with how everything turned out.

"So I hear you and Jacob are imprinted?" Asked Old Quil.

" Yes sir. We've been together for about a week and he's taking me to the cliffs tonight for our second date." She boasted, her heart filling with joy at the mention of Jacob.

"How marvelous!" Old Quil exclaimed. He didn't know much about imprinting but he was glad that it was doing good after everything that happened with Emily, Sam and Leah. He felt it was even more important that Jacob have an imprint. He was destined to be the next chief and would absolutely need heirs. He knew that Sam had a theory that imprinting was there to create powerful offspring that would later phase.

It explained how Leah was not meant for Sam since Leah's menstrual cycle has not appeared since she phased. The boys joined everyone a few minutes later and gathered around the food table before sitting down on scattered logs and chairs.

Anabelle was in the middle of eating her second hot dog when she saw two familiar faces walking towards the group. Her mouth gaped open when she saw Jacob walking with Bella close next to him. He brought her here? Was that why he didn't pick her up today?

She stayed still while Jacob led Bella to the food, a nudge in her side alerting her. "What is she doing here?" Paul asked, looking at the pale girl with disgust in his eyes.

" I don't know. I haven't talked to Jacob since this morning." She sighed. She watched as they made their way to the log next to the one her and Paul were sharing. "He didn't pick me up today and I didn't think of asking him why. Is she allowed to be here?" She whispered.

" I don't know. None of the elders seem to disagree with her being here." Anabelle watched Jacob smile brightly at her, her heart melting at the sight of him. She paid no attention to him and finished her hotdog before standing up to throw her trash away.

She walked around Jacob and made her way to the trash bin at the edge of the food table. She heard footsteps from behind her but paid no attention to them.

"Can I explain? You seem upset." Jacob asked, gently grabbing her hand.

" What's there to be upset about? You couldn't pick me up from school because you were hanging out with your best friend who you just so happened to have a crush on before you met me. Not to mention that you didn't even call or text me to say that you couldn't pick me up. A notice would have been nice, you know? But no. I am definitely not upset." She spit, walking to the cooler to grab and Coke.

"You already know I'm not fond of her. Rosalie didn't just talk to me about her going to high school 20 times. I know about her and you before you phased." Jacob sighed, wanting her to hear it from him what happened in the months before he phased.

"Look Belle. She called me unexpectedly, wanting to hang out because the Cullen's were going hunting. When Dad came back from fishing with Old Quil, he invited her to the meeting to hear the legends. She is a big factor right now regarding the redhead. I didn't ask her here." He grabbed her hand and interlocked their fingers. "You gotta believe me."

Anabelle sighed before looking up at him and seeing his face hold nothing but love. "I believe you." She whispered. Jacob smiled big before grabbing her cheek and molding his lips with her's. When they parted, Jacob led her back to the bonfire and to his log he shared with Bella.

He sat next to Bella and placed Anabelle in his lap, cuddling her in his arms, and ultimately shielding her from the cold. They shared a smile before turning towards Billy who was starting to tell the first legend.

"The Quileutes have been a small tribe from the beginning. But we have always had magic in our blood." He told of how the spirits of wolves connected with certain men in the village and how the men used their gift to fight off and hunt vampires who were referred to as 'Cold Ones.' Anabelle shivered at Billy's description of what they were capable of.

"We are very blessed to have our pack protecting us and our people. Their ability to tear the cold ones apart while in their wolf form is remarkable and must be cherished. I pray to the Gods that all of these young men," Billy then turned to Leah and added, " and woman, bring all that they have to what is coming."

Jacob held Anabelle tighter to his chest, knowing that there was still danger looming. "And now that the magic has awakened in our blood, we must be ready for anything." Billy's last words hung in the air, nobody making an effort to move.

There was silence until some of the boys stood up to grab any of the extra food that was still on the table. Anabelle noticed Leah stand up and move away from the group. Curious as to where she was going, Anabelle stood up from Jacob's lap and walked towards Leah.

"I'm going to go talk to Leah." She told Jacob.

"Ok. I'm probably going to drive Bella home in a bit. But I'll meet you back here so we can go up the cliffs, ok?" Anabelle nodded before jogging to where Leah went. She found her sitting on the sand next to the beach, her feet getting splashed with the salt water. She sat down on a rock near her, making sure not to let water splash on any of her clothes.

"You doing ok Lee? I saw you walk off after Billy told the stories." Leah sighed and hung her head.

" It's just hard...seeing them together, knowing I can't do anything for it to change. I'm the first female shape shifter in our tribe's history and I probably can't have kids now that I don't have my period. The Gods put them together because she can do what I can't. What kind of woman am I? "

" A badass woman." Anabelle answered immediately. " Leah, you can literally phase into a gorgeous silver wolf and have the ability to tear a vampire with your teeth. You are also the fastest in the whole pack. So what if you don't get your period? That doesn't make you less of a woman. And when you do find that special someone, because trust me you will, you are going to have so many options when wanting to have kids." Anabelle gave Leah a hopeful smile, letting her know that everything would be okay.

"I don't know if you know this Lee but before my surgery, I asked Dr.Cullen if I would have the ability to have kids. He told me that he would advise not trying until after two years post op. But that was in a general sense. I've read enough articles about pregnancy and my condition to know that if someone like me gets pregnant, it would have to take a miracle for the mother or baby to stay alive during the pregnancy or birth. Does that put a damper on my mood regarding whether or not I can have a family? Yes. But I know that whatever happens will happen for a reason. You never know, maybe you can still have kids when you stop phasing. You just have to have hope that you can face it when you get there."

Leah looked up at Anabelle and gave her a teary smile. She hadn't seen Leah cry since Harry's funeral, but Anabelle was glad she was smiling. Leah stood up and embraced Anabelle hugging her tightly. "Thank you. You're the only one that understands. You may be 14 but you are one of the strongest people I have ever met." Tears appeared in Anabelle's eyes, causing her to hug Leah tighter.

When they broke apart, Anabelle led Leah back to the fire where Sam was in the process of putting it out. The girls said their goodbyes and went their separate ways, Leah going to her mother and Anabelle walking towards Paul. She gave a reassuring smile to Leah until she gave one back. She was happy to lighten her mood after everything she'd been through.


	31. Setting Boundaries

**A/N Here's another chapter for you guys. If you have any suggestions be sure to let me know and please review, I want to know how y'all like my story.**

Chapter 31

"Is Jacob here yet?" She asked her brother, walking over to where he was leaning on a rock.

"I saw him walk up to the cliff with a basket about 5 minutes ago." Paul replied. Several moments went by before Anabelle spotted Jacob appear in the tree line holding a flashlight. She told Paul she'd see him tomorrow and kissed his cheek before walking up the Jacob who was grinning from ear to ear.

"Hey you." She greeted him, wrapping her arms around his torso.

" Hey yourself." Jacob grabbed her cheek and gently gave her a short kiss before hugging her to him. "Are you ready to go?"

"Ready as I'll ever be." She said with nervousness. Jacob led her up the cliff, having already made up a path.

They were halfway through the hike up when Anabelle faltered in her step. Jacob grabbed hold of her before she fell and noticed she was breathing heavily. "Are you ok?" He asked. She softly nodded, taking in deep breaths.

"I guess it was just a little much for me." Sha claimed, feeling so embarrassed. Her face flushed and she turned away from Jacob.she continued to take deep breaths, treacherous tears appearing in her eyes.

"Hey, what's wrong?" He asked, moving in front of her. "As long as you feel good, that's all that matters. Were you embarrassed?" Anabelle gave a slight nod.

Jacob sighed and kissed her on the forehead before instructing her to get on his back. After some convincing, he was able to hold her by the legs with her riding on his back. He made it to the picnic area in a short 5 minutes. He set her down and showed her the picnic area.

"J this is gorgeous." There was a blanket covering the floor and little flashlights brightening the ground. There was a basket sitting on the blanket. Anabelle looked up at Jacob with a bright smile.

"Thank you." She whispered.

"Don't thank me yet." He said, leading her to sit on the blanket. "You still need to see dessert." He lifted the lid of the basket and took out two large containers. He then gave her a fork and took off the lid. Inside was a mini cake with chocolate frosting.

"You made cake?" She asked him, slowly putting down the fork he gave her.

" Hell no!" Jacob laughed. " I went to that bakery you told me about in Forks. It's chocolate cake, your favorite." Anabelle looked at him in awe while he opened the second container. Inside were an array of chocolate covered strawberries.

"I got milk chocolate because I know you like those. The lady told me to pick a different chocolate to go with these so I got some dark chocolate. Do you like those or should I have gotten white cho-" Jacob was abruptly stopped when Anabelle placed her lips fiercely against his. She placed her hand on his cheek, feeling the heat of his body consume her.

"It's perfect." She whispered before kissing him once more. He placed his hand on her neck, holding her face close. Anabelle was about to end the kiss before Jacob stuck his tongue out a little, hoping she would open up to him. She tentatively opened her mouth, her tongue meeting Jacob's. He tasted good to her and she couldn't help but blush.

They both ended up on their knees, Anabelle's arms around Jacob's torso while his hand was on her cheek and neck. A moment later his hand made their way slowly down her arm, leaving goosebumps in their path. Their kisses were growing in passion with Anabelle loving every second. Jacob places his hand on her waist while she kisses him passionately. His hand was gradually moving up from her waist to her chest when Anabelle abruptly pulled away. "Wait. Stop." She whispered, grabbing his hand and pulling it away from her waist. She looked at him, their breathing ragged, both of them trying to catch their breath.

"I am so sorry, I wasn't thinking." Jacob apologized. Anabelle looked from his face to his hand that she was still holding.

"It's just we haven't gotten that far before and I didn't see it coming." She bowed her head in embarrassment.

" That's completely fine Belle. It was wrong of me to assume you wouldn't mind me touching you like that. It's good that you stopped me." He moved her chin up to him and looked at her in the eyes. " If you're ever uncomfortable with me touching you, I want you to tell me ok? Don't be scared." Anabelle nodded before hanging her head one more.

Jacob hugged her to him, making sure to only touch her back and neck. It took a few seconds before Anabelle wrapped her arms around his waist and cuddled herself into his chest. "Did I ruin the mood?" She asked.

Jacob chuckled. "No you didn't. And because the mood isn't ruined, let's dig into this cake." Anabelle smiled brightly before snatching the container from behind Jacob's back. She sat crossed legged in front of Jacob and greedily grabbed a fork. Jacob did the same before they both took a bite.

Anabelle moaned at the taste on the cake. "Oh my God, this is so delicious." She stated, taking another bite. They both ate the cake in minutes, satisfied with the taste.

"I'm not gonna lie, that cake was delicious." Jacob exclaimed, trying to lick off a piece of chocolate on the side of his mouth. Anabelle giggled before taking her thumb and swiping it off. Jacob looked at her in surprise after she wiped it off her thumb with a napkin.

"I'm sorry. It just looked like you needed some help there." She said shyly, her face dark with a blush.

"No, it's fine. I was just surprised." He grabbed the other container carrying the strawberries and placed it in the middle of them. "So anything interesting happen at school today?" He asked.

"Yes actually. Mason asked if I was free to go to the drive in next Saturday night. They're showing Star Wars." Jacob looked angry at the implication of it being a date before Anabelle continued. " He wants to get to know you better so he asked me if we could go on a double date with him and a girl named Macy. I kind of already said yes but I can cancel if you don't want to."

" No, it's fine. If that's what you want, then yes, I'd love to go." He replied, making her smile. " Who's driving?"

" Well I was hoping you would. None of us know how to drive yet. I'm sure Paul would let you use his truck." She assured him. " Is that ok?"

" Yeah, that's fine. I'll drive." He replied. She gave him a smile before returning to eating her strawberry.

"Thank you."

They continued eating the strawberries until only the stems remained. Anabelle wiped her mouth with a napkin before looking over the ocean. A sense of fright overtook her when looking out onto the dark sea. She felt a warm arm wrap around her shoulders, making her welcome the warmth.

"Are you feeling ok? You don't want to go back down?" Jacob asked

" No, I'm ok. Thank you for bringing me here, I loved it."

It was barely 5 seconds later when she heard him whisper, " I love you."

Anabelle seemed to know that he would retract it, knowing that last time she wasn't ready to say it back. She surprised him when she boldly and without hesitation said, "I love you, too."

She waited for him to say something before he softly kissed her, making her smile and wrap her arms around his neck. They broke apart before Jacob said, "God you have know idea how long I've been waiting for you to say that."

Anabelle giggled and hid her face in his chest. " Well it's true. I love you Jacob Black."

"I love you too, Anabelle Lahote."

~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•

A bright light peeled in through the window making Anabelle open her eyes. She rubbed the sleep out of them smiling at the memory of the night before. She couldn't believe how happy her life had been and prayed that it would continue like this.

After taking a shower and getting ready for the day, she walked downstairs to see Emily making pancakes. She was very thankful that her dad let her stay at the Uley house and let her practically move in. Her father's schedule was all over the place and he was traveling more than he ever had. He expressed to his children that he was hoping to be promoted in the next few months, which would take time away from his kids.

Paul didn't take it too well, feeling that their father was officially abandoning them in a more official way. Anabelle on the other hand was relieved that there was no time to tell her father about Jacob. They had gone on two dates now and we're going on another one tonight. She knew her father knew about her crush on Jacob but he didn't know that they were acting on those feelings yet.

"Good morning." Emily greeted her.

"Good morning." Emily handed her a plate of pancakes before Anabelle walked over to the table. Sam was reading the Forks newspaper. They didn't have a newspaper on the reservation but they were lucky that Forks travelled across the border to keep them up to date on current events in town.

Anabelle noticed a picture of a boy on the front page. There was the word 'missing' printed above it. "Can I see that?" She asked Sam who was about to place it down on the table. She grabbed it from his hand and looked at the name of the boy. Riley Biers.

"Do you know him?" Sam asked.

Anabelle shook her head. " No. I've never heard of him."

The next week went by quickly, the middle school boomed with excitement for the end of school in the coming weeks. Anabelle could not hold back the pleasure of leaving the middle school. It housed a lot of bad memories and she was happy to be going to highschool in the fall. Hopefully the students in Forks would be welcoming of the new kids.

Now it was Saturday morning and Anabelle was helping Emily prepare for lunch. She laughed as Emily danced around the kitchen singing along to the radio. Anabelle sang along with her while smashing a pot of potatoes. Once she was done she grabbed the salt and added some before giving them a smash once more. She then took a spoon from a drawer and ate a spoonful of the potatoes. Once she decided that it was good she placed it on a square potholder.

Once all the food was prepared, Sam ran out to summon all the boys. It took a total of five minutes for all the boys to come to the house, shirtless and hungry. When Jacob walked in, he immediately set his sights on Anabelle, sitting down next to her at the table. He kissed her on the cheek, knowing they were in Paul's line of vision.

"Thank God you made food Emily. I think my mom was going to try to make meatloaf before I left." Embry said grabbing a drumstick.

"Belle helped. She made the mashed potatoes and the bread." Emily revealed. They thanked both girls before stuffing their faces as much as they could.

"So Belle, what movie are you seeing on your date tonight?" Leah asked.

"Star Wars, A New Hope. Knowing myself, I probably need to take a nap before so I can last the whole movie." There were a round of chuckles at the table.

" And who are you going with?"

"My friend Mason, the boy that was here at my early Grad meeting and a girl named Macy."

" You mean the boy who couldn't keep his eyes off you the entire time and then looked like you punched him when you turned him down?" Quil snickered.

A soft growl erupted from Jacob and Anabelle grabbed his hand to calm him. "We're just friends. And we are just going to stay friends." She smiled at Jacob, trying to lift his spirits and not change his mind about tonight. He smiled back making Anabelle feel relieved.

Once everyone was done eating, the phone rang. Emily answered it only to call Jacob over. "Jacob, it's for you." He left his seat on the couch next to Anabelle and grabbed the phone from Emily.

" Hello?"

"Hey Jake, it's Bella."

"Oh uh, hey Bells. What's up?"

"Well I was wondering if you were free right now. We never got a chance to really hang out the last time I was there and I really need to talk to you. Can I come over?"

Jacob hesitated, knowing Bella wouldn't take no for an answer. "Sure Bells, I'll be there in about ten minutes." After saying bye, he hung up the phone and turned to see Anabelle leaning on the door frame.

"Was it Billy?" She asked walking up where Jacob was standing.

"No, it was Bella." He sighed. "She wants to hang out today since her last visit was cut short because of the bonfire. She said she has something important to tell me." He looked at her and scoped for a reaction.

" Oh well, have fun. I was thinking of taking a very much needed nap in order to stay awake for our date anyway." Jacob was surprised Anabelle was being so cool and it was evident on his face. "What? I'm not going to be mad that you're hanging out with a friend who's a girl. I trust you J."

Jacob nodded. " Ok well I'll see you later ok?" Anabelle nodded and pulled his head down for a kiss. She silently gasped when Jacob silently opened her mouth to him, his tongue connecting with hers. She wrapped her arms around him when they pulled apart and gave him a hug.

"I love you." She whispered.

"I love you too, so much." They shared a smile before Jacob walked out the door, Anabelle already feeling sad without his presence.


End file.
